Kitsune Mask
by Neku.GrandChase
Summary: Ch32 UP, after a 2 year hiatus Yaoi Evil Naruto fic. The long fight is over. Would a conclusion finally appear after the long period of fighting?
1. April Fool's Joke

Authors' notes: Hi to all! This is the first time I wrote a Naruto fan fiction, as I was trying to entertain a plot that formed in my silly head. No, really. I haven't watched at least two episodes of Naruto (the sole episode I was able to watch was one where Sakura and Ino were fighting…talk about bad luck)so forgive me if you'd see something out of the norm. Characters here may get a bit OOC and some points may just confuse readers.

So to reiterate, this fic will be an AU. Same setting and time, but uh…I'd try to deviate from the norm. Please understand the OOCness so I can entertain my muse.

Pairings: This is supposed to be a SasuNaru fic, but that will just arrive maybe in the end. The more blatant pairings here are OrochiNaru and Sasu/OrochiNaru. Intrigued by the second pairing? You'll know why later on. I really don't like Orochimaru very much, but I needed to so that, as I said, I can entertain…the PLOT!

Disclaimer: I'm tired writing the same thing over and over again, so I'll just say this once in this story. I don't own Naruto (him, the anime and the manga, along with other merchandises). If I did, I'd have listed a thousand ways of doing wicked things to him. But because I don't, I'm listing the thousand ways of doing wicked things to him here.

Last notes, there might be some M rating stuff that's going to happen. You can't skip it, because its only minor but nay, let's live and love M rating stuff!

This will be version 2 of Kitsune Mask. So sorry to the new readers, but don't worry. All I did was improve on my wordings and fixed some grammatical errors. If I changed something in the plot, you will be notified.

Bah, enough of me! On with the story…

-

Chapter 1: April Fool's Joke

-

Naruto was, so, in a crap-pissy mood.

He spent half the day playing pranks on his friends, hoping that it'll take away his boredom. From Sasuke's brightly-pink dyed underwear, to Kakashi's ruined copy of Icha Icha Paradaisu, and even filling Jiraiya-sensei's house with blatant copies of shounen-ai (Naruto still remembered the horror Ero-sennin displayed upon seeing the so-markedly called "unholy" materials).

He had quite a laugh.

A few snickers passed through his lips.

But the day still seemed too dull for him. No mission, no war at all (he wasn't really asking for one…), anything at all that could convince him the day wasn't supposed to be normal! Hell, he wished an alien spacecraft would come and abduct him just for the heck of it all.

And why was it that no one came to clamor to him about what he did to them?

He was almost expecting Sakura to come rushing out of the trees, brandishing her kunai at him because he drew frown lines on her forehead (the location of the face lines made it funnier in his opinion).

Or maybe Kakashi-sensei appearing in a puff of smoke and attempting a chidori-charged Hidden Leaf Ancient Taijutsu Supreme Skill, A Thousand Years of Pain on him, which would be quite understandable.

Or maybe just Sasuke confronting him over what he did to his boxers that he'd spar with him on just this occasion (which was what I was hoping for…hmm, did Sasuke appreciate me dyeing his boxers pink?).

None of what Uzumaki Naruto was thinking happened.

* * *

The afternoon was gently descending to a close, the bleeding sun dipping on the horizon. Naruto decided to pass up the opportunity of treating himself at Ichiraku's. Half of playing a prank is seeing the victim's reaction as what he'd say to Konohamaru.

So far, half of his efforts went down the drain.

He went inside his apartment, the darkness somewhat unnerving him a bit. Fumbling around for the light switch, his fingers felt something else.

Something warm.

Something soft, and pale to the feeling.

Naruto withdrew his hold almost suddenly, stifling a gasp at the surprise.

"Surprised…dobe?"

Naruto squinted a bit, as the figure became clearer in the semi-darkness of his room. The lights turned on, Sasuke's hand on the switch.

"Teme…" Naruto growled a bit, finding his energy drained to retort more effectively. "Go away, I need to rest. This day absolutely sucks…" He snarled a bit, passing by Sasuke's waiting form.

"Ch…" Sasuke grunted a bit, as he extended an arm to halt the blonde's movement.

"Yarou…are you here to complain about your underwear?" Naruto glanced downwards, noticing the pink boxer peeking out of Sasuke's short.

Sasuke kept a straight face, unnerving the smug look on Naruto. He hasn't shown any sign of indignation…unlike before…

"I'd understand…what you did earlier…" Sasuke seemed to speak, breathing each word luxuriously out of his mouth.

Naruto found himself slammed on the wall of his own room, shock and confusion written across his face. Sasuke was leaning just too close for his comfort. Tension evidently formed between the inches left between the boy's faces.

"You're lonely…aren't you? You need someone to turn to…" Sasuke's glazed look was now starting to scare the blonde.

"Sasuke…s…stop this now. You're not remotely half-funny…" Naruto spoke, trembling on his own accord. He hadn't expected this type of attack.

"No one's trying to be funny here…idiot…" Sasuke unconsciously licked his lips, his breath hitting the blonde's whiskered cheeks and slightly parched lips.

"Please…stop…" Naruto whimpered.

"Naruto…" Sasuke seemed to enjoy the panic exuding from the blond.

Naruto was paralyzed in his own fear. Sasuke had suddenly removed his riotous orange jacket, appreciating the sight of Naruto's lean and well-toned chest.

The blonde visibly shivered as pale hands skimmed on the features of his chest. Naruto had to fight back a whimper and a growl from escaping. Sasuke was doing maddening things to him.

"I…" Naruto's lips began speaking on its own accord. "If this is a dream, please…stop this! I love Sasuke, and it hurts every time I wake up and find myself alone!"

Sasuke momentarily stopped, his eyes fixed on the blonde before him.

And at that, he licked Naruto's cheeks, tongue running up his whiskered features. The blond could do nothing but cry and surrender.

**-flash- **

"Wha…" Naruto recovered from his stupor when he saw a flash of light from his closet. From out of it, Sakura, Ino and others came out, shock visible in their faces.

The wall beside them peeled off, revealing Kakashi and Iruka, bearing surprised looks on their faces.

"I…" Naruto was close in tears, the sudden humiliation and embarrassment hitting him hard. "Kimi tachi…everyone…what are you guys doing here?"

_Can it be…a set-up?_

"Enjoying yourself, Naruto-kun?" A rather familiar voice, not unlike Sasuke's, rumbled beneath Naruto, and followed by a bark from a puppy.

"No…it can't be…"Naruto found himself covering his mouth, utterly degraded.

Sasuke disappeared from in front of him, to be replaced by Kiba, with Akamaru perched on his head. The dog dutifully continued to lick Naruto's bewildered face. Kiba only continued to regard him with serious eyes, unable to say or do something.

"Henge no Jutsu…" Naruto realized the trick that had been done. Why hadn't he recognized Sasuke's different scent?

"This is for pulling those pranks earlier, Naruto." Sakura scolded, waving a Polaroid picture, her tone almost indifferent of the tense atmosphere surrounding the room. Sakura wanted to say more, for the boy that continued chasing after her for so many years…but found not the will or idea to say anything.

"Ah…Sasuke…" Ino looked worriedly over Naruto's left side. Naruto followed her gaze, hoping she was wrong.

The door slowly closed on his side, revealing Sasuke behind it. He was stricken with shock, gritting his teeth at what he heard was the closest confession of Naruto's sexuality.

Both boys locked eyes, one shooting piercing glares and the other, shrinking back in humiliation.

"Naruto…" Sasuke spoke, his voice dead calm. The sense of familiarity disappeared behind the single word. "Omae…"

Naruto fell back, still edging away from the people he called "friends".

"No…" He was on his edge.

"Naru…"

"NO! Don't! Please! Don't ask me anything! Don't say anything!" Naruto knew that look. He knew it, and it scared him the most.

Sasuke's dark orbs had been replaced with the spinning crimson sharingan wheels. The four tomoe symbols embedded themselves on Sasuke's irises.

Naruto felt his senses fogging around, his hearing now becoming dull. His vision seemed to start to fail him, his muscles going numb. There was only the dull thud of his heartbeat and the heated glare Sasuke was giving him.

"**Don't look at me like that, teme!"** Naruto yelled at Sasuke in particular.

Turning around, he lunged for the open window and jumped through it, performing a few seals he knew by heart.

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

* * *

This is version 2 of 'Kitsune Mask'. For those looking for version one of this story, sorry, but I threw it away. I don't look backwards. XD

For the people confused with some words:

Kimi tachi – literally means "you guys" or "everybody (you)". This refers to everyone around, excepting you that is.

Omae – translates to 'you'. The more ruder or cruder version is teme, which Naruto always uses on Sasuke.

Yarou – I don't know if this is a legal slang or not, but I use this myself in preceding an expression of distaste to someone or something. Like…"Yarou, this soup tastes like stale socks." Or "Yarou, can't you do anything right?" And yes, I can be cruel if I want to.


	2. Hitori

Author's notes: Sigh, I know that the plot of Naruto being tricked and is affected more than the others might be overused or too cliché'…but hey, I like this kind of torture. Go on. Read.

Disclaimer: You read it last time, no need to tell you again…

Pairings: Same same…

This chapter has been revised three times. Yep, I do so love changing stuff. Version 2, version 2.

-

Chapter 2: Hitori

-

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!"

The blonde immediately split into a hundred clones, each rushing into a random direction. Some noiselessly jumped across rooftops, others took running to the streets, and some hid in the trees.

However, each still wore the hurt and dejected look the real one was experiencing.

* * *

"How…how could I be so stupid? I'm so screwed up…" Naruto berated to himself, tears starting to stream down from his eyes." All it took to worm the truth out of me was a stupid disguise and a puppy…"

From a distance, he could sense his clones popping, and the immediate figures that followed: Jiraiya, Kakashi and Iruka. Naruto sniffed a bit, before splitting into a hundred more clones, effectively hiding in the flurry of blonde bunshins.

It was a very long night. Both for Naruto and them.

* * *

"I can't believe it…Naruto…he likes me…after all those years…" Sasuke mumbled to himself, while their respective instructors sent him and the others back to their houses.

"Maa, maa. Sasuke-kun. A moment of madness, I'm sure it'll pass by." Sakura tried to console the brunet, handing him a copy of the picture.

Sasuke took it, studying the blonde in it. Naruto looked almost ecstatic…happy…and then everything had to turn upside down in a matter of seconds.

"I do not think Naruto was too happy with you being into this…" A voice spoke behind him.

"Hyuuga…" Sasuke acknowledged the remark, facing the pale-eyed Nin.

The Hyuuga clan residences were near, and Neji and Hinata turned in for the night. His byakugan eyes narrowed on Sasuke.

"Understand that what will happen in the future, is solely your fault, Uchiha." Neji said with finality, while Hinata looked at him thoughtfully, somewhat still trying to absorb the information that Naruto liked Sasuke.

Sasuke grimaced, but managed to keep his composure straight. He did not bite back though…he can't bite back.

The group walked on, by and by thinning out until the only ones left were Sasuke, Sakura, Ino and Kiba.

"So, what do you think, Ino? Will we run this on print at the Konoha press?" Sakura thought of the idea. The frown line was still evident on her forehead.

"I don't know, Sakura-chan." Ino was starting to look doubtful. "It seemed ok the first time I heard it, but now…Naruto might not be too happy about it." She trailed off.

Sasuke was still busy on his thoughts far too much to agree or deject anything behind what they were saying.

* * *

"Psst, Sasuke…" Kiba slowed him down a bit. Sasuke turned to Kiba, noticing that they were passing through the field area.

"So, what will you do about it?" Kiba spoke, concern dredging his voice. Akamaru slid inside Kiba's snug jacket, whimpering a bit at the cold, night air.

"About what?" Sasuke decided to be thick-headed.

"About Naruto! You heard what he said!" Kiba huffed, aware of the Uchiha's deliberate negation of his question.

"Ch…that usuratonkachi…everything's turning clear though…" Sasuke lowered his gaze.

"Everything?" Kiba faced him, his interest perked.

"I'd always thought when he was always hitting me playfully, or when he would accidentally "trip" over and fall on me when I'm sleeping…or when we'd go shower, he would always turn his shower cold…" Sasuke spoke thoughtfully, more on speaking his mind, than talking to Kiba.

"Man…you've got him bad…" Kiba shook his head.

"I know… I just don't know why…" Sasuke blandly replied, walking again, his sights falling on the jacket-less clones jumping on the trees.

"You haven't answered my question…" Kiba pressed on.

"What's there to answer? I have my responsibility of reviving my clan. Don't think that Naruto can offer me an heir?" Sasuke bit back, almost a bit too harshly.

A clone fell, obviously had tripped on one of the branches and landed face-first on the ground behind them. Sasuke and Kiba turned around, expecting it to disappear in a puff of smoke.

The clone stood up, grimacing on the wound that developed on his shoulder. The blood momentarily stopped flowing and started to close right away. His eyes were set on Sasuke.

"Naruto…is that you?" Sasuke tentatively asked. He'd recognize that no clone would have auto-healing mechanisms.

The blonde smiled, though his eyes were hidden in the fringe of his hair.

"I understand, Sasuke-kun. Of course, who am I, but some village reject, to get in the way of your clan's revival. It's okay…I'll just see you tomorrow for our mission then…" Naruto spoke softly, casting a cheery glance at both of them before splitting once more and jumping off to the night sky.

Both Kiba and Sasuke spoke nothing, the same as how they felt towards the blond as of that moment.

Naruto managed to return back to his apartment, undetected. His instructors were still busy catching his clones. He figured it would take them until morning to find out he had gone back to his room.

Inspecting his closet, he found a few of the said pictures lying on the floor. He took one, stifling a cry as he slumped on the floor, finally crying.

"Naruto, you really are the usuratonkachi…" He spoke to himself, as the moonlight played shadows on the floor. "Sasuke'll never let go of this…not on his lifetime."

Fatigue took over him, as he slept on the floor, one hand on his head, the other on the picture. His half-naked figure reflected the paleness of the moonlight.

* * *

Naruto had just walked out of the apartment, his mind set on the wonderful scent of ramen wafting from the Ichiraku. The night had been a drag for him, and he was overly-bushed and overly-tired.

A rotten tomato had hit him squarely on his right cheek, just a few seconds after he came out of the door. Naruto was taken by surprise. A few more seconds, and even stones began flying towards him.

"What…the…hey, STOP IT!" Naruto tried defending himself, shielding himself with his arm. A man stepped up, a sharp stone on his hand.

"Hey, you whore! Who gave you the right to go after Uchiha Sasuke?" He spat, throwing the stone directly, contacting at the side of Naruto's head. The blonde let out a small whimper as he felt his veins burst at the contact, and blood started to trickle down his side.

"Not only are you a demon, you're also a faggot! You're the lowest of your kind!" Another came up and threw a leg bone of some animal. The force jarred his head, yet he managed to keep his consciousness up. He'd been faced with these kinds of oppression from the villagers…he knew he can withstand these once more…

Like he did before…

Like he does always…

"You think we don't know! How dare you look at an Uchiha like that! You dirty little piece of shit!" He threw a newspaper, slapping the blonde just enough to open his eyes and read it.

There it was…the picture he had in his pocket. He had burned the other copies he had found save one last. But that was not what had made his eyes wide.

"_Seemingly a trick done by Uzumaki that led to this…expressed his interests upon the last Uchiha member…Sasuke Uchiha denies anything that had to do with this picture upon an earlier statement..."_

…_denies…_

…_Sasuke Uchiha denies ANYTHING that had to do with this picture…_

…_Sasuke Uchiha denies Naruto Uzumaki…_

"No…no…" Naruto found himself unwilling to believe. The villager's indignation only increased with his blatant denial of the article and now decided to chuck more stuff at him, one that would cause more injury than just rotten fruits and stones.

Naruto tumbled back from the reach of the mob, he was however, not safe from the people he met as he ran in the streets. They pelted him as he ran, the people's roars fueling their intent on totally making sure the boy never existed in the first place.

Naruto was now crying…the tears not coming from the pain he was feeling, but rather from the words playing over and over his head.

…_Sasuke Uchiha denies anything that had to do with this picture…_

…_**Sasuke Uchiha denies Naruto Uzumaki…**_

…"_What's there to answer? I have my responsibility of reviving my clan. Don't think that Naruto can offer me an heir?"_

He couldn't force himself not to believe it was true. It was after all, the general idea.

No one wanted him here in the first place, so why was he here?

**Fight back…**

Naruto was weakening in the face of current events.

**Fight back and protect yourself…**

Naruto had immediately found himself cocooned in the darkness, his subconscious floating towards a familiar being.

Kyuubi. The Nine-Tailed Beast.

Unknown to others, both he and the demon had become one. Both soul of the human and spirit of the beast fused into one entity. If one would die, the other would follow. It was one of the reasons the Kyuubi had begun civil terms with Uzumaki Naruto.

"I don't think I can hold on, Kyuubi. After what happened last night…I can't go out facing the world like I used to." Naruto spoke somberly, his mood dampened as the noise of the riot seemed like a distant whisper in the chamber of his mind.

"**Then don't hold on. Let go, and let me live for you. I will finish what they have started."**

Before Naruto could protest, he found himself losing consciousness, and falling rapidly into the darkness that seemed to protect him. Kyuubi's voice had all but become a faint echo.

* * *

Red chakra was now swirling around him, deflecting any projectile aimed towards him.

The blonde did a complicated seal as he ran, exploding into a violent swirl of crimson wind that blew dust around him. Everyone ducked for cover, the chakra disappearing only to be replaced by four thousand clones of Uzumaki Naruto.

The sky grew dark as all the clones jumped into the air, dispersing in all directions from the village of Hidden Leaf. From the air, Naruto saw everyone of whom he shared part of his life.

Kakashi and Sakura, up in the bridge, waiting for both him and Sasuke.

The academy, the practice areas, the Hokage's tower. Iruka-sensei, Neji, Kiba, Ino, Lee, Gai-sensei and all others watched in awe at the awesome display of Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.

Naruto performed another seal, and each clone split into three more, resulting in twelve thousand clones. From the twelve thousand clones, two thousand five hundred each split into the four cardinal directions. The remaining two thousand left themselves behind, at least confronting one resident of Konoha.

The sky cleared up from the shadows, the figures of the blonde now retreating in the mountains and the forests. Each person was stunned to find a Naruto clone, solemnly watching them, blue eyes reflecting the sorrow within.

A few minutes passed before the clones began speaking. They spoke, in synchrony and in tune. Their tones melancholic and breaking down, voices failing at what they wanted to say.

_I thank you, Konoha. For letting me live until this age. I will not hold a grudge against you, for I understand your incapacity to see through me. Not the demon you hold a grudge against, but against the container itself, a cage. I will not defer you in your idea, for it is true. We are one now, but it is also for your safety that I did it. Neither of us will be able to control the other now, but I will still hold my body and the Kyuubi will hold itself inside me._

_Sadly, I believe you will still not understand. But I do. I understand you all. And it was hard for me not fulfill your wishes for the past sixteen years. But now I did, I leave you now and bring with me along, your so-called demon fox. You can now wake up every morning without the worry of the Kyuubi going through the village, even though you should know that I would never let it happen. I will never let the Yondaime down._

_I cannot deny one thing to you, my dear Konoha. Before I leave, I will clear out one thing. I love Sasuke Uchiha. I have loved him as a friend, and I have loved him as something more. I do not expect that my feelings be reciprocated by him._

_It was that night…I destroyed myself in front of him. He will never look at me the way he used to before. And now neither can I. Isn't that what everybody wanted? ISN'T IT?_

The people winced at the snide remark the clones said. All the clones took in a different mood.

_Sasuke Uchiha is not to be pressed of this matter after this day. This issue will die down along with me. He has had enough of his life to be meddled with. I should know…I've hurt myself so much for him._

_Tsunade-baa-chan, I guess it may be too late for me now. I'm know now… I'm not worthy to accept the position of Hokage anymore. My dreams of being the Rokudaime…was nothing but just that…a dream. There is no such Hokage that people hate. I'd be a first if that were to happen, but then again, it wouldn't. They were right all along…dreams were but made for fools and idiots._

_To people whom I called my friends, thank you for accepting me. You would be the only people who acknowledge me…even though if your views changed as of last night._

_I guess I should these guys a reason why I decided to leave from this point on. I would not act like the saint I am and tell you because I did it for the village. It was part reason, but then again, majority of it is not. I guess it's too much, for fifteen years, having the village on your tail and the Kyuubi clawing out inside me,…it's very hard to contend. I don't think I'd live another year with having to bear two at a time._

_My mind has been raped too much by insults and spite. My psyche is torn by the Kyuubi's continuous attempts for freedom. My mask is breaking down so fast, I can't fix it anymore and hide who I am. _

_The boy who cries at night each time he takes in the blame of the demon that lived before him. _

_The boy who curls on his bed, alone, because god-knows where his parents went. _

_The boy who bleeds in the morning and heals in the night. _

_You would think that it's fun, but it isn't, knowing you can't show what people did to you. No marks, no bruise. It is an everyday crime that has no evidence._

The clones sighed a bit, before donning a feline smile on their faces.

_So, this is it, Konoha. My farewell. If you are lucky, you might not find news about me anymore. I might have died in a desert, drowned in a sea, or eaten by wild animals. Who knows what good fortune might strike. My body might be even mutilated in such a terrible condition, nobody might recognize me._

_Tsunade-baa-chan…no, Tsunade-sama. I'm giving you back the necklace you gave me. It would suit the next Hokage better than on a rotting cadaver. You were the only mother figure I had. And…it was nice I got to know you. I love you so much…no matter how many times I seem so rude to you._

The clone facing Tsunade handed the necklace and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. Tsunade accepted the necklace with trembling hands and teary eyes.

_Kakashi-san, Iruka-san, Jiraiya-san…thank you for keeping my secret. I know you saw me behind my mask, and yet you played along your part. You fulfilled an unspoken wish some person like me would have asked. I am so sorry; I cannot return everything you taught to me._

_Sasuke …yes…I am an idiot…the usuratonkachi…the moron, the fool…but you treated me like I was more. I felt it and you understood me. To tell all the truth…you were the only one keeping me from leaving this village. I have no more reason to hold this against you. I am free of our friendship and so are you. _

_No more will you deal of the blundering idiot that would always get in your way. _

_No more will you have to contend with someone you thought would always best you. _

_No more of the irritating smiles and the pranks that you were always irritated. _

_No more…_

_no more… _

_and for what it's worth to you…_

_I love you…_

…_so much._

Sasuke stood frozen, as a clone came forward and gently kissed his forehead, his eyes reflecting great sorrow and regret.

_You will never hear more of me. Nothing in this village will remind of the demon that once resided here. It is my greatest and last favor to Konoha, and to the Hokages that lived and will live after me. Farewell…_

The few extra clones that stood by began to crowd themselves into Naruto's apartment. The people looked on, aware of the events.

Sasuke and the others pushed through, as the last of the clones outside the apartment disappeared. Only the clones inside his room remained. A few more minutes and the clones came out carrying all of his stuff towards the Main Gate.

The people looked on, more curious than showing any hint of remorse for the blonde. Sasuke, Tsunade and the others came closer.

All of a sudden, the clones exploded into a large bonfire, destroying every possession Naruto had. Sasuke jumped back, Tsunade looked aghast and everyone else that saw what happened had at least the decency to look sad.

Sasuke cursed inwardly, unable to retrieve anything of value to the blonde. He would have tried cursing again at the blonde's stupid idea, but had vaguely remembered he admitted it all. There was nothing left to be acknowledged about Naruto.

A clone came dashing towards the fire, holding some few scrolls. He looked at the kneeling figure of Sasuke and came close towards the boy.

"Na, na. I forgot to give you this, Sasuke..." A clone came forward to give him a thick and heavy scroll.

Sasuke looked surprised at the unexpected gift, but shifted his gaze to the clone and asked what it was.

"Pictures..." The clone smiled wanly. "I used a bunshin to take these pictures without you noticing them. I'm so sorry for not telling you."

Before Sasuke could thank him, the clone dove into the fire with the remaining scrolls, burning them all into ash.

"Sasuke-kun…would you open it?" Tsunade spoke gently, coaxing the boy.

Sasuke hesitated a bit, unsure whether he needed to see this. But he bit back a tear when he saw the pictures.

It was a collection of photos, all which featured them when they were alone. Each picture was clumsily posted onto the scroll and below them was a vivid description of each picture.

"Here, was a time when fireflies gave light to Sasuke's night…" A picture then showed Sasuke resting peacefully on Naruto's shoulder as fireflies surrounded them. _I remember…_

"Our first hangout…" It was a picture of them at Ichiraku's. Both were eating ramen, and Sasuke just had to poke the boy in the ears for not showing some decency in eating. _I did not forget…_

Sasuke decided to close it for a while, deciding his heart wasn't ready for this. A clone seemingly popped out of the bonfire once more to give a final message.

"Tsunade-sama, it would be best if you would mark me as a missing nin and send hunter-nins to kill me. Please kill me as soon as possible. I might regret the promise I left behind. To you and Konoha."

The clone winked at her. He disappeared in a puff of smoke afterwards; the wind echoed his last words...

"Goodbye..."

* * *

Revised, revised. I hope this version reads better than the last one. 


	3. Reflections

Revised chapter for the 3rd time. I've been doing some major story recalling, and I love this sweet baby fic o' mine, I can't bear leaving it all…grammatically wrong and what not.

Revised for better readability and hunky-doriness.

-

Chapter 3: Reflections

-

Sasuke had left a few hours ago, searching the forests surrounding Konoha and the craggy mountains that bordered it.

* * *

Everyone was crowded into the village square; each person had worry and fear plastered in their faces. Tsunade was almost ready to kill the first person that dared contradict her order, and no villager spoke up to retort on this.

"Now then." Tsunade's voice resonated across the squirming mass of noisy people. The sounds and hushes immediately died down. All eyes were on the woman before them.

"Is everybody happy? You know what all of you did, right? You have just condemned an innocent to his death…" Tsunade spoke with the tone of the graves, dull and demeaning.

"He's a demon!" A man shouted in the back.

"Nobody's asking you what he is and what he is not! Don't say another thing out of your line!" She barked at the direction of the offender loudly, anyone caught in the direction of the crossfire sank in fear and humiliation.

Tears slowly fell on Tsunade's cheeks, her skin losing the almost warm glow that floated around her. In an instant, she seemed to have aged about ten or twenty years; wrinkles formed on her forehead, her eyes darkened considerably and she stooped.

"If you'd know how much he suffered…" Her voice was now that of an old woman, not quite of the elderly, but one who is weary enough and tired. "…from the day he was born, he was afflicted to the pains of containing the Kyuubi inside him. How much necessary control it took him to learn in keeping his emotions well…how much to hold back everything he felt even though if it had meant so much for him to shout it to the whole word…"

She leered dangerously at the crowd before her, her former figure now returning. She was starting to look like the old Tsunade again.

"You just don't realize, my **_dear_** people…that even if all of you would contend your whole life's pains…half of it would not reach as to what Naruto experienced for the past sixteen years." She spoke softly. Turning back, she returned to her office in the Hokage's building, leaving behind the stunned crowd.

"For whatever's it worth…your repentance is already too late to bring the boy back…" She said lastly, not caring whether they heard it or not.

And she was right…

For she was a healer…

And for the past years of nursing people back to health…

It was only Uzumaki Naruto that she failed to heal…

* * *

"Naruto!"

His feet ran like the wind.

"Idiot, come out!"

The birds flew from the trees, scattering from the disturbance of their territory.

"Usuratonkachi, show yourself now!"

He stopped, panting and taking deep breaths.

The clones that flooded the forest earlier had now all disappeared, effectively hiding the boy amongst them. An impressive display from a Kage Bunshin no Jutsu adept, nevertheless Sasuke wasn't in the least awed or impressed.

He needed to find the boy.

He didn't know why. He wasn't going to lie and tell him that he liked him just for the boy to stay.

He admitted that as much as he hated the boy, he had also come to love him for who he is.

He loved him enough for him to stay.

To not leave Konoha.

And maybe…even to not leave him.

"Why…"

Sasuke cursed himself inwardly, punching a tree as he did so.

"Why did you have to hide from us all the time...stupid asshole…"

Sasuke whispered.

"From this day, I feel like I don't know who Naruto is. The Naruto we've come to know was nothing but a fake. A sham…nothing more but a boy wearing a mask." Sasuke grasped the tree and crushed the part where he was holding onto.

Sasuke's frustration pierced the afternoon sky, sending a flock of birds flying away.

* * *

Jiraiya was sitting by the riverbank, his face set in the deepest of concentration.

He finally figured what those eyes meant. Blue eyes, covered by a veneer of tears and of glee.

Those vulpine smiles.

Those antics and feigned innocence and random bouts of self-conceitedness.

"Naruto…" He lowered his gaze into the water, reminiscing the times when he was face to face with the blonde.

"_You pervert sennin! For an old man, you sure act like a hog when going down to the river for your pooh of a research!" _

He found it.

Those blue eyes.

Jiraiya had recognized the mood of those eyes, noticed it for so long.

…_I know you saw me behind my mask, and yet you played along your part… _

Naruto knew. He knew that they noticed him. Yet, he was just too bulk-headed…too involved with girls, and his book, and his sake that he failed to confront the blonde of what he felt for so long.

Those eyes were like **_his_** long ago. Like Orochimaru, when he turned tail and ran away from Konoha. To seek power and glory, and vengeance and maybe an army of his own.

Naruto may not have wanted those things, might not had the slightest want of any of those. But his eyes spoke volumes of Naruto's feelings.

Abandonment.

Alone.

Self-reliance.

Jiraiya ruefully rubbed his temples at the onslaught of thoughts that came to him. He just realized so many things were still unknown of the blonde named Uzumaki Naruto.

Unfortunately, it was too late now to know him better.

* * *

Kakashi and Iruka were sitting on a tree, just overlooking Jiraiya's post. They mulled the way Jiraiya was acting after Naruto had abandoned Konoha. And how everybody else was doing the same.

"I failed him…Naruto." Iruka finally spoke up.

"…" Kakashi turned towards him, his unhidden eye glinting ever so mysteriously at the other.

"I was a bad father figure…wasn't I?" Iruka went on. "We got only a little amount of time left to spend after his missions and my responsibilities at the Academy. I can't even remember the time I asked him for a bowl of ramen over at Ichiraku's…"

Kakashi shrugged, before taking out his surviving copy of Icha Icha Paradaisu.

A few minutes more, and he decided to keep it once more, not finding the best interest to read it right now.

"It would be partly my fault anyways. No need to blame yourself too much." Kakashi glanced at him. "I had to take away what little time you spent with Naruto just so…well…" He trailed off.

Iruka merely feigned not hearing anything.

"So…" Kakashi caught on with Iruka's hesitance "Whatever shall we do about him?"

Iruka raised a worried eyebrow at the jounin. "I figured we should have been sent quite a few hours ago to search for him. Why hasn't Hokage-sama done anything yet? I'm sure even the other members of the Rookie Nine would have voluntarily went off."

"And what? Have Naruto turn against us and all the more convince the elders to send hunter-nins to dispose of him? Naruto had said it; he is one with the Kyuubi now. If he dies, so does the demon. The elders might find that information all too tantalizing." Kakashi countered immediately.

"Naruto will die! I can't let that happen! No! I don't want to lose anybody I love anymore!"

"Naruto's not stupid. He won't die, either by him or others. The Kyuubi won't allow it, that's the best bet I have. If we're lucky or not, the Kyuubi might return to seek revenge on Konoha bringing along Naruto behind him." Kakashi spoke softly, running his fingers on Iruka's scar.

"Sigh…I guess you're right." Iruka heaved.

Kakashi grinned.

"But shouldn't I be worried over what you just said?" Iruka frowned. "The Kyuubi is big business you know."

"All I am saying is, if I were Naruto, I wouldn't want people to come looking for me when I just escaped Konoha." Kakashi looked away, thoughts far towards the trees.

"Naruto is Naruto. When he is hurt, he'll find a nice hole to crawl to and heal himself. When he's all healed up, he comes out and acts like nothing at all. Even when it hurts inside, he finds ways to take his mind off the pain. " Kakashi spoke as if the boy was his son.

Iruka soundly smacked Kakashi at the back of his head.

"Don't you ever compare Naruto as if he's an animal! He's a boy, and he's my and your student! You shouldn't say things just like that!"

Kakashi winced. "I'm telling it the way I see Naruto's mind works, _Iruka-sensei._"

"But still!"

Kakashi stepped through. "We cannot deny it. Naruto's mind is working like that of the Demon Fox's. You cannot just simply refuse the truth just to protect somebody from something inevitably is going to happen."

Iruka remained quiet, until realization dawned in his eyes.

"No…Naruto wouldn't!"

Kakashi sadly looked at him in the eyes.

"Foxes will always remember those who hurt them, and they'll come back to seek revenge. Whether it is Naruto or Kyuubi's doing, it will be unavoidable…"

"Konoha had declared war upon itself. I can only hope I'm wrong about everything I said to you."

* * *

Old readers might notice a change in conversations. I've found the last version was unfitting of Kakashi and Iruka's personalities. Maybe this'll be much better. 


	4. Hunger

Author's Notes: After stuffing my brain full of doujinshi fluffiness, I think I'm ready to give this story my very best! Go me!

Disclaimer: It would be not smart of you to realize I don't own Naruto…

Pairings: Yes, same as above, only that this is a shounen-ai fic. Prepare to drown in fluffiness.

Warning: Some mild language and obsession to blood. Please don't get turned off. Hee hee…

Revised version, third time. Maybe this'll be the last time I'm doing so.

-

Chapter 4: Hunger

-

_**-shuffle, shuffle**-_

The blonde was running, stumbling, picking through the dark forest, somehow weak and was derelict of any idea where to go.

His thoughts were elsewhere, taking in on every hurt and abuse that had hit him square in his face earlier that day. So much had changed overnight; Naruto couldn't remember how volatile Konoha was when it came to _their _Sasuke-kun.

…_monster…_

…_demon…_

…_murderer…_

…_killer…_

…_faggot…_

Naruto had to blink back hot tears that threatened to spill. Everything that had been kept hidden for the past years had just exploded in his face and now had started to eat away in his life and in his soul. The abuse he went through was enough to drive anyone to the brink of madness. Hell, Naruto's parents should be imprisoned for giving their child a mad life such as this. It is a crime against all living things, to undergo what Naruto underwent.

"Was it always as it should be?" He spoke softly to no one in particular. The owls in the trees hooted their reply, and the bats squeaked their answers. Night was going to fall fast soon, and everything was starting to turn dark.

He continued walking along the hidden path in the forest, unaware that shadows had been bounding alongside, watching his every move…counting his every steps, smiling at each of his stumble and frowning when he stood up to go on.

* * *

His eyes glanced at his side at the whistling sound of a thrown kunai. He would have dodged it effortlessly, something that years of training urged on his instincts, but he needed something that could result to pain.

…something to assure him that he was still human.

**-tgsk-**

"Haaah…aaagh…"

Naruto moaned; the kunai had clean hit him at the back of his right shoulder. The blonde smiled at the sight of red, _so deploringly scrumptious and festive,_ spreading on his orange jacket,_ tinting it red, dyeing it red, like meat from fresh carcass,_ his eyes glinted of hunger, his throat suddenly felt all too parched and needed a bit of life,_ a bit of blood_.

He caught the hilt of the upright kunai, pulling it effortlessly from his shoulder. The kunai glistened of his blood. Naruto smiled warmly at its sight.

Drawing it to his lips, he gently licked the blood off the kunai, savoring the coppery taste, making sure to lick the blade clean.

He sighed afterwards; the wound on his side had started to close. In frustration, he calmly threw the kunai back to the owner.

"How nice to see you again, Naruto-kun…" A voice soothed out from the branches, its owner holding the kunai deftly with two fingers.

* * *

Naruto glanced upwards, voice loathing at the intruder of his space.

"Enjoying yourself, Kabuto-san?"

The light-haired shinobi chortled, as he returned the kunai back to his holster. Naruto had set his lips into a thin line, his humor and appetite now gone, only to be replaced with placidness.

"Still mad at me? For betraying your trust? For betraying Konoha?" Kabuto chuckled, finding Naruto's sudden shift of emotions somewhat surprising and amusing.

"Supposedly, I would say yes to that question. But as of the moment, I can't say I have any right to such an answer." Naruto answered conceitedly, his expression was uncomfortably demeaning.

"Your friends, where are they?"

"Friends?"

Naruto's voice hinted of venom at the word.

"Do you mean people that are always found beside you? Like maybe…the one over the tree and another by the bushes?"

Kabuto looked mildly surprised. Not only did Naruto's personality change, but apparently so did his senses about his surroundings. Could it possibly a one-shot fluke of some sort? Maybe Orochimaru's baseless interest at the boy was no more baseless after all…

"Maybe." Kabuto answered, warily." I expect that you would be an expert on that. Seeming as it is easy for you to make friends…"

"Ch…" Naruto spat at his side, as if something distasteful was in his mouth. "Don't you ever dare talk to me about friendship when you haven't had any at all…"

"Oh. Of course, not. Silly me, forgive me, Naruto-kun." Kabuto remarked, fixing his eyeglass with one hand, sarcasm dripping heavily.

Naruto immediately turned his back, apparently bored already. "Oh, now don't lecture me on how power is the most important thing to lust upon. I'd have enough of Orochimaru's insane quest for absolute blah…"

Kabuto's eye twitched at the comment but kept his control.

"Oh, but we're not talking here about Orochimaru-sama…we're here talking about you…"Kabuto shifted the direction of the conversation, composure regained as he ran a mental script in his mind.

Naruto mental processes stopped in their tracks. So not good to be true.

"Me?" Sarcasm dripped in his voice. "About Uzumaki Naruto?"

Kabuto looked faintly amused. "Are there other persons aside from you that are named Naruto?"

Naruto said nothing, but faced the light-haired medic nin in front of him, waiting for what he had to say.

"You've always told me how you wanted to be acknowledged Naruto-kun…ever since the Chuunin exams when we first met…"

"You just don't know how much it sickens me to hear you say those things. Every. Single. Time." Kabuto cockily glanced at him.

"Yarou…" Naruto gritted his teeth, resisting the urge to punch somebody with eyeglasses.

'People will know my strength!'

'They'll know that I exist!'

'One day, I will let them know who I really I am!'

Kabuto launched a sickening glare at him.

"That is JUST so pathetic of you, Naruto!"

"The hell you care, you shit-asshole!" Naruto instigated his defense. "Why! Are you that fuck-affected by my ambition!"

"No…"

Kabuto glanced at him, shortly, mirth replaced by disappointment. He took a nin card from one of his pockets and read out the written information.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Technically, a genin level ninja. Loudest, hyperactive ninja of Konoha. Likes ramen and a kunoichi named Haruno Sakura…until recently has been found out to actually like his other teammate, Uchiha Sasuke. Likes horridly orange jackets and helping out other people, even if they tend to hate him…should I even continue?" Kabuto frowned at him.

"What your point, bastard?" Naruto just had enough of Kabuto's insinuated insults.

"I do so hate to lie, Naruto-kun." Kabuto's demeanor remained unfazed. "The only truth this report gave me was your name and your oh-so-interesting love life."

Naruto quieted down in an instant, sweat flecking his face. Kabuto might just hit a raw nerve in him. Tension was apparent in his face.

Kabuto noticed the apparent discomfiture in Naruto's face. Taking a similar nin card from his other pocket, he airily read the contents of the other card.

"Uzumaki Naruto. Practically chuunin to jounin level nin. Quiet and always thinks about things when no one seems to care. Mastered a forbidden jutsu at the age of twelve and the A-rank technique Rasengan in under a week. Extensive chakra capabilities being a jinchuuriki, having the Kyuubi no Yoko sealed inside. Lineage runs…

"STOP IT!" Naruto screamed at him.

Kabuto momentarily paused to raise a questioning eyebrow at him._ Oooh, raw nerve, raw nerve…_

"You know crap-nothing about me! So quit it!" Naruto covered his ears.

Kabuto had alighted down the tree, making a soft pit-pat in front of Naruto. The blond had looked up, and was surprised when he saw neither malice nor contempt in Kabuto's face.

"Konoha might not know, Naruto-kun. But Orochimaru-sama and I do know." Kabuto lowered his gaze. "After all, we always have to deal with masks…from both enemies...and acquaintances…"

Naruto had lost the confidence he gained with spouting off swear words. "The hell with masks! What are you talking about, teme!"

Kabuto did not look too amused at all.

"I speak to you as a diplomat now, Naruto-kun. From one shinobi to another. All I ask is that you acknowledge my words…"

Naruto stopped.

"All I ask is that you recognize me and my words. As a man to another."

Each shinobi that accompanied Kabuto knelt before him, heads bowed down solemnly.

Naruto couldn't, wouldn't take it. Nobody had shown this much respect to somebody like him. Ever. Not with all the times with his so called "friends". Not with the people of Konoha who treated him like dirt. Not with his teammates. Not with Kakashi. Not with Sakura.

And most importantly, not with Sasuke.

And what was this feeling rising up his gut, slithering like a snake that tickled his insides making him want to wrench it out and stare at it in the face? There was something welling up inside him that made him react with the show of royalty that was displayed before him.

Had Kabuto aroused something in him? Something that he craved, but kept it privately to himself?

Naruto craved respect. And never told anyone. Never let anyone figure out or witness his carnal desire for esteem he worked hard for so many years.

As if reading his mind, Kabuto added a line of thought to a queue in his mind.

"Orochimaru knows. You crave not only respect, but the power that comes with it. The power to change how people think of you. And that is only one of the few things he is willing to offer you."

He knelt before the blond, grasping his chin and forcing Naruto to look him straight in the eye.

"All he asks is he wants to see you. Privately. After that, it is your decision what you want to do with your life."

Naruto's eyes glazed for a few moments.

* * *

Inside, he was having a blind debate with his other "tenant". Kyuubi served as a good adviser, Naruto could conclude at best.

"Did you see what I was going to do, Kyuubi! Goddamnit, I leave the village for a few hours and then an opportunity to betray it comes sprouting out of nowhere!"

"**Betrayal? Hah! They threw you out in the first place! How could you betray something that doesn't give a damn about you! Stupid human…"**

"But…but this is…different…"

"**Nice squad of shinobi there, by the way. Any chance they'd stay that way? I'm feeling a bit squeamish for royal treatments."**

"Damn fox. I don't know how Kabuto knows so much about me, much less Orochimaru-jerk. But what he's saying…almost sounds damn right."

"**Well, isn't that a surprise? Somebody other than me knows something about you. You should be flattered, oh Konoha-reject Uzumaki."**

"You're actually with them this time, aren't you? Damn fox…"

"**Something good finally sticks its nose up where your life should have been. And you're hesitating? You have got to forgive your masochist side just this once…"**

"Kuso, Kitsune! I do not have a masochist side! Well, maybe a little…but that's not the point! I'm asking about your opinion on this issue, damnnit! You and I know we're going to be in this together."

"…**you're asking me? The Nine-Tailed Demon Fox? Of my opinion?"**

"Well…yeah…"

Naruto found himself face to face with the demon Kyuubi inside him.

"**Do anything you want, gaki…like the hell I care. Maybe I could have an excuse to indulge in a blood fest for once in this dreary existence!" **

Kyuubi turned around to walk away.

"**Just remember…not to lose yourself while with Orochimaru. He's a wild card I can't predict too much."**

Naruto lost all sight of the blood red eyes in the darkness.

"We'll protect each other right?"

"…right?"

A wry smile glinted in the dark.

"Naruto…"

"Huh?" Naruto woke up from his stupor.

"You spaced out…am I boring you that much?" Kabuto quietly chided, albeit almost friendly. He almost sounded like the old Kabuto Naruto met during the first Chuunin exams.

"Uh, no. Look, I'll think about it, okay? Maybe…"

Kabuto raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe I should go see…him."

* * *

This is hard work…never thought reading your fan fiction yourself makes you see things you never thought when you wrote it the first time. XD 


	5. I Leave for Him

Author's notes: This chapter has been re-edited. See Chapter 22 for other changes.

Change log: As of June 18, 2006, now this chapter has been revised thrice. Hooray…

-

Chapter 5: I Leave for Him

-

Naruto glanced sideways, not even sure that he had said those words. Or more importantly, for the sake of his sanity, why.

"Baka na, Naruto…how the hell did you manage to say those words…" Naruto thought, deeming himself "officially retarded" just by saying those words.

"Oh? So you are actually considering the idea, Naruto-kun?" Kabuto looked surprised, finding the mission now actually easier, after getting over the first hard part of it.

Naruto carefully glanced at him, persuading distrust to reign over him but had miserably failed. Years of remembering his betrayal didn't add up like it used to. Of course, his case was synonymous with Kabuto's anyway. And in this scenario, shouldn't birds of the same feather, flock all together?

"I'd call myself a psycho if I heard myself say it a couple of years back." Naruto sighed.

"Now, now Naruto." Kabuto chuckled, running a finger in his lips. "You just don't know how much concern Orochimaru-sama has invested in you for a couple of months now."

"Oh, does he? I'm that special, aren't I? With the kanji KYU-U-BI written on my stomach for a retard's sake." Naruto narrowed his eyes, seating himself on the ground. He grew tired of standing.

Kabuto took it as an invitation and came a few feet of the blonde, sitting down and facing him. Naruto's façade of irritation and disgust was slowly crumbling.

"_Little by little, Naruto-kun…"_ Kabuto thought to himself, smiling.

"He wouldn't be setting spies all across the village just to check on you if he didn't care now would he?" Kabuto lowered his gaze.

"Liar…" Naruto huffed. "He's only after Sasu …"

'_Sasuke…'_ He inwardly finished.

Naruto decided not to finish what he was to say. Kabuto saw his opening and dared not miss such a wonderful opportunity.

"Who, Naruto-kun? Do you mean the last Uchiha descendant, Sasuke?" Kabuto offered.

Naruto remained quiet. He didn't want his mouth betraying his feelings.

"You'd think we do not know why you left Konoha whom you dearly loved?" Kabuto just had to add the right amount of antiseptic to the wound they opened. He just had to cause the needed amount of pain so that Naruto won't need to remember about this wound. Wouldn't want to be reminded.

Naruto remained quieter.

The antiseptic had stung deep…

"Konoha…everyone…" Naruto entered into a state of stupor.

"Sasuke…" Naruto whispered.

And his tears betrayed his words. The wound had sported an ugly scab.

* * *

Kabuto was smiling at himself.

Who knew that he had brought the great Uzumaki Naruto to tears? For someone he knew as a vulgar and headstrong brat, he was nothing more but a teen with problems just like everybody does.

Oh wait…only he has the problem of having a demon sealed inside him…along with Gaara of the Desert…but Gaara didn't have to worry about relationships now, did he?

"Na…Naruto-kun…you didn't want to really leave Konoha did you?" Kabuto gave his most empathic voice, attempting to create a bridge between them. Naruto gazed at him, his eyes showing a new light.

"No…No, I didn't." Naruto spoke between sobs. He was attempting to fight off his tears, rubbing the salty liquid angrily with his fists.

He sat up, laying his head on his arms on his knees. His voice still shaky.

"I tried to make myself believe that everything would be alright…that people would understand me one day. I tried to show a mask that would make people believe that everything was fine with me. I tried to make myself believe a lie…" Naruto's face dawned in realization.

"Maybe…maybe it was my fault. Maybe if I made the people understand how it feels to be me…maybe if I had just abandoned my mask and let them see me…me …my tears…my wounded soul…when they'd understand the pain of being cursed like me…"Naruto rambled softly, his eyes flitting, viewing different possibilities.

"No…"

Naruto looked up; Kabuto's face was set in deadly calm.

"The world doesn't think that way, Naruto…"

Naruto looked up from his stupor, somehow willing to hear what the other had to say.

"You are a ninja, Naruto. You are expected to fight and be a hero for the Kage of your village. You are expected to live your days in service, and you are to die honorably in a mission. There is no room for compassion in the profession you have chosen Naruto-kun…" Kabuto looked at him seriously.

"When people see you, they would fear you for your ability to hurt other people. But when you die, they would not give even a second thought about you. Why? Because you are expected to die someday, albeit even the moment you start entering service. You think people would give a damn for your little personal problems like your taboo of a love life or the little twitches of pain that you'd experience once in a while because of some damned seal?" Kabuto rushed angrily. Naruto winced back, as if receiving the ending blow of the sentence.

"I want to live, Naruto-kun." Kabuto turned a sorry eye at the cowering blonde. "That is why I lust for power. I do not want power in itself, but I need power as a bastion to live. In this world we live in, people without power **die**. I am sure that you are not as ignorant as you seem, Naruto-kun…' Kabuto came near and grasped Naruto's chin, focusing on the boy's blue orbs.

"Orochimaru-sama has that power in his hands, Naruto. I stay by that power's side because I feel safe and comfortable. And Orochimaru-sama is not selfish to share it to those who have the same desire as he has." Kabuto wiped a lone tear that fell on Naruto's face.

"He sent us for you, Naruto. He doesn't want you to grow lonely the same way he did. He watches over you everyday, pained that he could do nothing but only see you as you manage each day. He worries so much…he asks for you …" Kabuto leaned closer.

"He doesn't care. All he wants is the Kyuubi's power…my power…He is that sort of evil…"Naruto gritted, not wanting to believe what Kabuto was saying to him.

But he wanted to believe somehow…wanted for it to become the truth.

"Naruto…having power does not merit you to being evil. Much less lusting after it. You…do you think bearing the Kyuubi's power makes you evil? You know that isn't true, but people look at you differently …the same way they did to Orochimaru-sama. That is why they say he is evil…that I am just the same…that you are one too…" Kabuto spoke softly.

"Only people with power would understand one another. He understands you, Naruto. And I'm sure once you'd meet him, you'd understand as well…"

Kabuto halted, taking his grasp from the shivering Naruto underneath him. He stood, and gazed at the tree on his right.

"_Katon: Hosenka no Jutsu!" _(Fire Release: Mythical Fire Phoenix Technique)

A burst of fireballs hurled towards them.

* * *

Kabuto nimbly dodged out of the way, the fireballs heading straight directly to where Naruto had been sitting.

The fireballs had indeed hit ground, but curiously mingled on Naruto's surrounding, not one harming the blonde.

Standing up, Naruto faced the figure that fell from the tree.

"Uchiha…" Naruto spoke not too surly.

* * *

"I didn't expect you to be like this, idiot…" Sasuke narrowed his eyes at the almost pathetic blonde. The bravado and confident aura that once surrounded the blonde, now lost, was unnerving him.

Naruto was starting to hate Sasuke.

"Expect? And what do you expect me to be, Uchiha?" Naruto answered impassively, a hint of sarcasm on his last word.

Sasuke's eye twitched at the sudden name change. _It was always Sasuke-kun here, Sasuke-kun there…what gives?_

"Don't call me by my last name, usuratonkachi…" Sasuke gritted.

"And who gave you the right to call me that, Mr. Pissy Pants?" Naruto spat out.

"You didn't mind when I called you that, dobe." Sasuke insinuated, pointing a finger at Naruto.

"That Naruto you know who didn't mind such insults is dead, Sasuke! DEAD!" Naruto snarled, growling his fangs. He pointed with the same finger at the Uchiha.

"Take that back, usurabaka!" Sasuke was riled up. His eyes now morphed into the crimson Sharingan, though not spinning fast enough yet.

"Not in a million years, teme! I've grown tired of lying and now I'm speaking the damn whole truth as I please!" Naruto looked ready to bite his head off. His hands were now positioned in the customary seal of Kage Bunshin no Jutsu.

And then he stopped.

The seal on Naruto's stomach started to glow red.

"Unnhh…" Naruto's knees buckled at the onset of the chronic pain. It was recurrent, but this time, the pain seemed almost…

…deliberate…but…who the hell?

"Chiksou na…" Naruto was sweating heavily, his left eye closing on the stimuli of pain.

All of a sudden, he puked blood out. Naruto did his best to cover his mouth, but the crimson liquid leaked thoroughly through his fingers.

"Naruto…da...daijobu ka?…"Sasuke asked softly, making towards the blonde, but not before a row of kunais dug in front of him.

Kabuto appeared shortly behind Naruto's back, and with a well-practiced motion, performed a ten-seal jutsu. His hand glowed a brilliant green.

"Fuuton: Baku-enerugii no Chakura Shoha!" (Air Release: Explosive Chakra Energy Shockwave!)

Lightly pressing his fingers at the base of Naruto's neck, the blonde's eyes shot up and he screamed, sending a pulse of energy away from him. The trees shook at the force and everybody ducked in pretense of being blown away.

Sasuke peeked through his outstretched arms after the dust had settled; the only sight was Kabuto carrying the unconscious blonde on his shoulder.

"Forgive my intrusion, Sasuke-san. But Orochimaru-sama is waiting for Naruto's arrival. And I cannot hold anymore delays." Kabuto spoke stiffly, though his tone hid of victory.

"Give him back! Or I'll make sure you don't have a single bone left unfractured in your goddamn body!" Sasuke's Sharingan eyes were now spinning wildly.

Kabuto chuckled, dismissing the brunette with one hand. Escaping with a teleporting jutsu, Sasuke was about to do the same only to be impeded by the shinobis left. They were preventing him from performing the required hand seals, thereby irritating him greatly.

"Damn each one of you!" Sasuke tore at everyone, his fists flinging madly, Chidori slashing anyone at arm's reach. "Give him back! Give him back!"

* * *

At the end of the battle, all that remained was a wounded and heavily injured Sasuke and several limbs and arms that littered and hung at the nearby trees.

Sasuke arrived by nightfall, back at the village of Konoha. People were anxiously waiting for him. The hunter-nins the elders sent (Tsunade thought they were there to KILL and not search for him) met with little success. Only Sasuke was the one last returning.

Sakura almost rushed to his side, eyeing his bloodied form anxiously, but Sasuke brushed her off. She can ask him later, treat his wounds…he needed to find the Hokage first.

Tsunade rushed towards him, upon hearing that he returned, just outside the building. Sasuke immediately collapsed but not before giving the news…

"…Naruto…Orochimaru…captured…him…" Sasuke grunted, before falling on her waiting arms.

* * *

Kyaaah! I overdid myself! –wonders at his own patheticness- Sometimes, I think I'm more pathetic… -grins at his own stupidity too- Oh well…

Rough translations:

1 Teme – a rather impolite term for 'you'. Usually when angry or irritated at persons lower than your authority. Naruto is undermining Sasuke –snicker-

2 Chiksou na – roughly translates to "shit" or "damn it" or "curses". I dunno, it's supposed to be some sort of curse word. Kuso is the literal translation for "shit". whilst shimatta means "Damnit". Ah…when you want to talk dirty against your neighbor I highly suggest these words. Japan vaguely doesn't have any bad words, as children use these words prolifically without their parents washing their mouths with soap n' water. –credit to The Original Dirtyangel for kuso and shimatta translations-

3 Usurabaka – well, since usuratonkachi means "moron of morons", I deduced that usura means "blah of blah" where blah is equal to any insult you place after usura and tonkachi is "moron". So, usurabaka means "idiot of idiots", usurahentai means, "pervert of perverts", and uh… things like that. Is this the etymology of Asura Strike? Look, see…usurastrike / usurasturayku would mean, "strike of strikes" and IT does, as Asura Strike is THE ULTIMATE of all STRIKES…bah, never mind…

4 Dobe – means "dead last". Not to be confused when someone calls you "a dobe" and you retort with some Mexican house brick or a computer graphics software.

According to my vague research as well, some ninja clans serve daimyos, much like samurais (I could be wrong you know…) while other clans of ninjas keep to themselves and are hired when needed. There were these cool ninja houses I saw on TV one day, still complete with functional house traps (like collapsing floors that led to bamboo spiked pits, oil lamps that spit out fire when somebody gets too close, removable tatami mats that can be used to shield one's self from shurikens and kunais and a lot more…) Yep, and as always, dead ninjas are treated like cadavers in enemy territory. They're chopped up to pieces by their surviving comrades and burnt to leave no evidence. Makes people actually reconsider taking ninja training as a main profession. –sniggers-

REVISED CHAPTER! THRICE!


	6. Seven Hundred and Thirty One

Author's Notes: This chapter has been revised. See Chapter 22 for changes.

Disclaimer: Anybody who dares try and touch my velvet choker will find himself or herself in a wonderful world of pain. I'm not joking. -starts getting suspicious of everybody-

Pairing: Though I'd like to insert myself in Naruto's life, this is a SasuNaru fic. OrochiNaru and Sasu/OrochiNaru precedes that pairing though.

PLEASE NOTE: Orochimaru is currently residing in his new body, which belonged to Gen'yumaru. And…uh…this chapter's been revised thrice!

-

Chapter 6: Seven Hundred and Thirty One

-

-Inside Naruto-

"Shimatta…Kyuubi, what the hell was that for?" The blonde shouted at the surrounding darkness inside his thought.

"**Be silent, kit. I had to keep your temper in check. It wasn't…ah…in advantage for both of us."** The demon fox appeared behind him, keeping his eyes on the blonde.

"Kuso…" Naruto turned his back on him, grumbling about incoherent things.

"**It won't be good for our minds to clash, gaki. Though we are one, we are still separate entities."** The Kyuubi offered to explain.

"And why is that? Of course, we'd think differently…" Naruto popped the question.

"**I'm still searching the depths of your soul, Naruto. Finding kinks and vulnerabilities even you might not be aware. For what its worth, your body is evolving to accommodate both our souls."** The Kyuubi curled up in pretext of taking a short nap.

"Evolving?" Naruto scooted closer at the vulpine creature.

The Kyuubi threw a thought at Naruto, who immediately understood and lay beside the fox, resting his head at the Kyuubi's right leg.

The fox curled his tails at Naruto's head, and both immediately fell into a summoned sleep.

* * *

"**These are the pathways of your chakra, Naruto…"** The Kyuubi hovered nearby the surprised blonde, sharing the same vision with the fox. Before them was a vast layout of Naruto's body. But instead of flesh, what he saw was an actual map of his chakra nodes and lines. Soothing blue colored the lines and nodes, a blue aura radiated magnificently. The only part where there was red chakra was on both Naruto's cheeks.

They flew closer, the Kyuubi pointed at Naruto's left chest.

"**When you experience rage and fear at the same time…"** The Kyuubi spoke; the pathway became an angry red from the calm blue it was earlier. Small cuts appeared." **…your pathways are stressed almost immediately. Some of it is torn almost instantly**."

"**When you're calm and at least pacified,"** The pathway returned to the original blue it was earlier. The cuts that appeared healed almost instantly, albeit as if they never existed. Naruto's eyes widened**."…Your pathways relax. Chakra flows more efficiently, and they heal at once."**

"**However…"** The Kyuubi stopped.

Both of them hovered back to get a full size view of Naruto's body.

The outline of Naruto's seal flared up, bloody red chakra began to well up from his stomach. The chakra traveled from his stomach towards the different parts of his body.

"Ah…ano sa…" Naruto marveled at the sight before him.

The pathways almost shivered as the red chakra passed through them. As if volatile, most pathways began to melt and turn into something else. They weren't the normal smooth lines they were once; they became calloused, thick and wide. The red chakra that leaked settled into Naruto's face, ears, fingers, toes and tailbone, as if being collected into those parts of his body.

"**This is what happens when you call on my power. Do you not see the destruction of your pathways? My chakra is raw, and raw as it is powerful, your pathways bleed as you use my chakra. You turn more like a fox, your teeth lengthen, so do your ears, your fingernails extend, and even in your toes…"**Kyuubi enumerated the number of effects his chakra did to Naruto's body.

"And the tailbone?" Naruto asked weakly, the information overwhelming him, yet still managed to remain observant over what Kyuubi had said.

"**You will grow tails when you are of age."** Kyuubi answered calmly, shocking Naruto who stumbled back.

"What! Tails! But…but…" Naruto ruefully rubbed his behind, as if expecting it to sprout a bushy fox tail any moment now. "…at what age will it happen?" He asked tentatively, not almost wanting to find out.

"**When you are eighteen years old."** Kyuubi replied, not minding the gaping looks the blonde was setting, and settled for continuing his explanation. **"By the time you reach twenty-seven, you'd have grown nine tails."**

Naruto's look of horror was appalling, his thoughts somewhere of him wearing a jounin vest with nine bushy tails following his behind. He sulked at the thought.

"But wait!" Naruto beamed up, looking at the Kyuubi with puppy eyes. " Those won't be permanent, right?" He cooed.

"**Yes, they will be."** Kyuubi deadpanned him, earning a massive jaw drop from the blonde. **"You can't cut them off, because they will be a permanent appendage of your body.** **You can try and declaw and defang yourself too…if any of it will do good...**" He added as an afterthought, earning a groan from the boy.

A loud heartbeat brought their attention back on Naruto's chakra layout.

* * *

The red chakra in Naruto's body had calmed down, although still flared up once in a while. Blue started to flood back in his pathways, but there was something wrong.

The red chakra persisted. It didn't want to be pushed back into Naruto's stomach.

Naruto gazed at the sight before him, the Kyuubi observing as well.

In an instant, red and blue clashed. The pathways shivered like some panicking snake. The aura of red that surrounded Naruto's body was leaking blue was well.

Little by little, an outline of pure blue emerged from the calloused red. Small veins of blue and red sprouted from each, and planted themselves at the other, forming capillaries of blue and red chakra. The convulsions died down.

Inside Uzumaki Naruto's body, was a parallel set of chakra pathways?

* * *

"This is…this…" Naruto gaped at the transformation that took place.

He was no more a mere human who only had one pathway of chakra.

He had two.

"**At least one red for each blue pathway in your body; my chakra would now intermingle with yours."** The Kyuubi noted, as Naruto's blue chakra and the Kyuubi's red chakra was non-existent anymore. Everything inside him had turned indigo.

"**Your chakra nodes at present are now at seven hundred and thirty one…**" The Kyuubi added, anticipating a question. **"Quite numerous, is it not?"**

Naruto thought with what everything Kyuubi had showed him. "You tell me! You bastard fox! Wait…so my pathways doubled, then my chakra nodes did too, right? There is supposed to be three hundred and sixty one in a normal human…this multiplied to two…seven hundred and twenty two?" Naruto counted with his fingers.

"**And yet, your arithmetic skills never cease to amaze me…"** The Kyuubi drawled, earning him a consternating look from the blonde. **"How many chakra nodes are missing from your seven hundred and thirty one?"**

"Nine…" Naruto wondered, then his face lit up, realization dawning on him.

"**Yes, another reason why you shouldn't cut your tails off, kit. Those tails will hold one chakra hole each. They will be as important as your arms and legs, Naruto…"** The Kyuubi sighed, somewhat glad that Naruto wasn't finding it too hard to take this all in.

"Ok, ok. I seem to understand everything now. If this would happen to me, that means I don't have the need to ask you anymore to lend me your chakra. I wouldn't be surprised when a tail would pop at my eighteenth birthday (Kyuubi distinctly heard Naruto mumble something about if he would reach that age anyway), and if my aura would turn…indigo instead of blue or red But when will THIS happen?" He pointed at the massive layout before them.

"**You are an idiot…you know that?**" Kyuubi answered in irritation. **"THIS happened already. Last year, on your fifteenth birthday which is a multiple of three, was the start of the Transformation of Nine Years. Don't you see the pattern of nine? By your eighteenth birthday, which is a multiple of nine, you would have your tail, and by your twenty seventh birthday, which is nine years from the start of your tail's appearance, you would have completed the growth pattern."**

"AAAH?" Naruto twitched in shock. "But…but…I felt nothing change in me!"

"**You executed a twelve thousand Kage Bunshin no Jutsu using MY chakra. If you used OUR chakra, the capacity of the Kage Bunshin would have been even doubled or tripled, reaching to twenty four thousand or even thirty-two! This is how powerful and forbidden the union of man and demon is, Naruto! Understand that!"** Kyuubi said with finality.

Naruto quieted down in thought, the Kyuubi felt bad raising his voice at the boy.

"**This is as far as I can tell you, Naruto. I still have to know what would happen to this body of yours when you'd reach even twenty-seven or thirty three."** Kyuubi drew him away from the layout with his tail. Kyuubi's features softened at the sight of the broken-down boy.

"**You are a brave boy, Naruto. Even I have to credit you for that. You have taken a very big responsibility well enough at such a young age. The Yondaime must be…very p…roud of you…" **The Kyuubi spoke softly.

Naruto looked at him, his eyes doubtful.

"You speak of the Yondaime as if nothing had gone between both of you. Shouldn't you hate him for sealing you up inside my body?" Naruto bluntly asked.

"**Sixteen years is a long time for me to reflect, Naruto. There are many things I've thought about over the years. Besides, I've been getting used to your life much better now. It's fun watching your life, like some soap opera or something. It's rather fun watching your wet dreams though…"** The Kyuubi chuckled, which sounded like a low growl. Naruto sweatdropped.

"**There were things that happened between the Yondaime and me best left covered in the grave where he rests now. In time, you'll know the truth eventually**." The Kyuubi sighed, drifting back into the darkness.

"**It's time for you to wake up and confront reality, Naruto-kun. This is another reason I've decided to lie low in your body. I'm too lazy to think about life outside here. As your senior would say…"**

"…annoying. It's just troublesome." Both drolled simultaneously, demon and youth laughing at their antics.

"Go and rest now, old fox. You've earned your keeps." Naruto stared towards him as the lithe form of the fox crept back into the darkness.

"**I maybe old, but I think as young as you do. Do you want an old and wrinkly demon reside in your body? Or maybe a young and smooth talking one?"** Kyuubi pouted, earning a chuckle from the blonde.

"**No, I don't want any of them. You are enough for me. A father, brother and friend in one."** Naruto grinned his vulpine smile, the fox returning it. Slowly, darkness encroached Naruto as well.

Time to face his mortal demons.

* * *

The blonde woke up in a velvet-lined bed, the surroundings unfamiliar to him. His neck still throbbed to where Kabuto had pressed his fingers earlier, but he was fine now.

"Ack! Kabuto, you stupid hentai!" Naruto shouted to no one in particular, as he realized he was naked under his sheets. His eyes fell on his riotous orange jumper by the chair, and he immediately lunged towards it, making a racket as he tripped and fell on the floor, hard.

"Oww…" Naruto rubbed his knee that received the fall. "Damn sheets…"

The door immediately burst open automatically, admitting three persons in; Kabuto and two personal shinobis.

"Naruto-san…daijobu ka?" The shinobi on Kabuto's left asked, before the three of them turned dangerously red and ready to combust at the sight before them.

Naruto looked ready to murder anyone who came ten feet near him from humiliation.

"You nasty pervs! Evil ecchi demons!" Naruto snarled, turning into Naruto-evil chibi mode.

In an instant, the three were running out of the room, beds, tables, kunais, shuriken, and even Rasengan orbs flying after them. They just closed the door on time when they heard something very heavy (probably the one-ton antique oak bed) hit the door. The three sighed in relief, sweat dropping in the situation as well.

Sound village Otokage's right hand and his two most trusted, and skilled shinobis, were being bossed at and thrown out of the room by a sixteen-year old violet-eyed genin.

* * *

Gomen! I know you guys were hoping for at least some action after the number of reveries from the last chapters. But I must explain this thing before hand, on how Kyuubi and Naruto became one. Frankly, everything just came into my head. The pattern of nine, Kyuubi's being civil towards Naruto, etc, etc. I promise you, more action (and changes) in the next chapters to come (which would probably be three days, I'm still saving money for Internet outside my house. I write this stuff at my personal computer, and upload it at an Internet café. If I had Internet in my own house, updates would have come in daily…)

I hope you weren't too befuddled by my explanation. For those guys still confused out there about the whole chakra layout thing, just imagine yourself floating in space and looking at a giant constellation of…you. The stars are the chakra nodes, and the lines that connect these stars are the pathways. I hope that's a good analogy, cuz I'm running out of ideas. Lol.

REVISED CHAPTER! THRICE! AND TWICE I SAID THIS!


	7. Surrender

Author's notes: This Chapter has been revised. See Chapter 22 for changes.

Maybe I should just mark all of my chapters as 'Thrice Revised', ne?

-

Chapter 7: Surrender

-

"I still don't get it…" Naruto ruefully rubbed the back of his blonde head; fidgeting with the black male kimono Kabuto had forced him to wear. It was a good one-half hour since Naruto had calmed down from his earlier outburst, and Kabuto's trusted guards are still minding the bumps on their heads from the things Naruto threw at them.

"Who would have thought that the boy had the capacity to throw a one-ton bed! I mean, one ton!" whispered the shinobi to his companion.

Naruto threw a dirty glare at them before turning his attention towards Kabuto, who hadn't answered the question.

"What?" Kabuto glanced at the blonde who was pouting at him.

"Oh, geez. Do I have to repeat myself?" Naruto huffed, turning his attention to the soft, cotton kimono. "Why do I have to wear THESE?"

"Aren't you comfortable in those?" Kabuto asked, smoothing out his own. Naruto had only realized that Kabuto was wearing one as well. A black male kimono with dirty white trimmings.

"Not really…I just feel out of place when I don't wear my orange jumper. I feel all sort of dignified and that crap. Honestly, I don't feel like myself anymore…" Naruto spoke, his voice adrift.

"Well, as you said earlier, that Uzumaki Naruto is dead. Naruto wouldn't find himself here in Hidden Sound, accompanied by one of the few men he hated the most and swore to kill once now, would he?" Kabuto gave a small chuckle.

"I guess not…" Naruto looked away, both resolved to walk quietly down the hall. Rain had started to fall outside, the pitter-patter somewhat calm and depressing.

"It would be out of place for you to wear such loud-colored attire inside the building of the Otokage, Naruto-kun. As you see…everything here is subdued." Kabuto nudged his head to his side, everything seemed gloomy a color. Naruto only nodded his head, finding the reason somewhat sensible.

"Na, Naruto-kun. A favor, if I might ask…" Kabuto glanced at his forehead.

"Huh?"

"That hitai-ate…please remove it…or at least keep it away." Kabuto spoke softly.

Naruto hesitated for a moment, fingering the band on his head. After a few moments, he undid the knot on his hitai-ate. A garbage can came into view, Naruto searched his thoughts as his hands trembled on the item.

"So much memories…" Naruto whispered. The hitai-ate was one of his few possessions he could truly call his own. His clones burned all of his stuff down, and the thing hadn't been removed from his head for such a very long time now. His head felt almost…naked without it.

His fingers brushed on a small scratch on the metal of his hitai-ate. Memories almost flooded him in an instant…

* * *

"_Oi, Sasuke! You're getting better everyday now!" Naruto remarked. Sasuke softly smiled at the praise before charging towards the blonde._

"_Dobe…" Sasuke smirked, before pummeling him blow after blow. Naruto brushed the insult off (it was barely an insult when it was the Uchiha teasing him that…) repelling Sasuke's assaults with his own kunai._

"_Ahh…haah…you…haah…didn't…hit me…." Naruto teased, panting as he sat down._

"_Dobe…haah…I got you…good…on that…last one…" Sasuke knelt, catching his breath. He pointed his finger on his hitai-ate._

_Naruto wondered, fingering his hitai-ate, before realizing a scratch, which wasn't there on the first place._

"_Grrr…how dare you put a scratch on my hitai-ate! Prepare to die, Uchiha!" Naruto growled, charging at the chuckling Sasuke._

_Their sparring went on…no disturbance afterwards…_

* * *

"Ch…" Naruto grimaced at the memory, and with the greatest of resolves, threw the hitai-ate on a stone pillar. Everything was a blur, but the hitai-ate resounded with the force Naruto threw with it.

Naruto immediately felt a sort of pity for the object, rushing towards it, almost regretting what he'd done. He retrieved the head protector, his face still set in stone.

A rather long gash formed from the right edge of the hitai-ate to the lower portion of the metal plate, a fitting wound considering he was now Konohagakure's missing nin.

Uzumaki Naruto of Konohagakure was no more. In his stead was Uzumaki Naruto, the missing nin.

* * *

"So this is…" The blonde shifted his glance from the great wooden doors to the light-haired shinobi beside him. Kabuto gave a short nod at him as he ordered his two companions to move the doors aside for them.

As the doors creaked, Naruto gasped at the magnitude of the Otokage's office.

More like throne room that is…

Kabuto looked almost disconcerted; Naruto had noticed the slight shock and the immediate recovery in Kabuto's face.

"This is different, isn't it? I can tell by your looks…" Naruto remarked, Kabuto nodding as his eyes glanced from each side of the _very large _room.

Glancing back towards the door, Naruto noticed that the two shinobis had also disappeared. _This is getting weird…_

It was a very dark room, spacious and wide. Giant pillars of stone with engravings of various snakes paralleled one another; each had torches that automatically lit as they walked. The carpeting was a regal red; barely visible from what little light the fire could afford them. The walls were all wood, no windows and no vent for air of any sort.

Just in front of them, in a bed of antiquity, sat the Otokage himself…Orochimaru.

* * *

Naruto stared at the Otokage like some snake poised to strike him. Yet his indigo eyes didn't flinch at the miniscule movements in Orochimaru's face. Like the flitting of his eyes, or that small smile tugging at the side of his face…or even that small twitch in his cheek.

The other seemed to regard him as well, studying his features. Orochimaru's gaze traveled from bottom to top, as if imprinting the boy's features into his memory. His gaze, however, stayed a bit longer on Naruto's eyes.

"Orochimaru-sama…"

The Otokage's eyes glanced towards his most trusted of men.

"Uzumaki-san…as ordered." Kabuto took a step back, bowing as he did. Orochimaru replied with a small tilt of his head. His gaze returned to Naruto once more.

Naruto didn't say anything, didn't move at all, and kept his breathing in check. But being under one's study was starting to unnerve him a great deal. Especially one like Orochimaru.

"Kabuto…please leave." Orochimaru finally spoke, a rumble in his voice.

The light-haired shinobi looked almost surprised…almost…but just the same bowed slightly. His gaze turned towards Naruto, a small message of warning or precaution in them. And just as he took one step back, he disappeared in a gust of wind.

The doors behind them slammed shut all of a sudden. The flames in the torches grew and created light as strong as day.

Naruto had to assess his surroundings. He knew that at least, they weren't underground as the rain outside was evident. This room couldn't possibly be in the Otokage's building because it was too large, albeit it would have occupied half of the building if it did. And then there was this…

"Are you trying to scare me…Naruto-kun?"

"Huh?" Naruto jolted out of his musing. Orochimaru was now regarding him with serious eyes.

"You usually never shut up about anything…you would have thrown a kunai the moment you saw me…you would have recklessly attacked me without any thought whatsoever, although that'd be a stupid idea…but nevertheless…" Orochimaru glanced an interested gaze at the blonde standing before him.

"Did my men capture the wrong person?" The Otokage curiously asked.

* * *

"The question is...did they even capture me? Or did I come here voluntarily?"

Orochimaru glanced up towards the blonde, amazed at the spontaneity of his answer in front of him. _Interesting kid…_

"Oh? So which is it, then?" Orochimaru decided to humor the blonde for the hell of it. Being inside a twenty-five year old body provided him a derelict sense of humor.

"A memory…"

Orochimaru stood up, he himself in a kimono as well. Naruto had quickly changed topics as fast as his smile dissolved into a thin line.

"I am but a memory of Naruto that everyone hated and despised." The blonde faintly smirked at his answer. A perfect allegory for himself…

"Oh?" Orochimaru smirked as well, instant liking for the blonde welling up inside him. "So would this memory indulge me to sit by my side?"

Naruto sat down beside the Otokage. Orochimaru followed after him, felt tension radiating from the boy.

"So, what does this memory wish of the Otokage then?" Orochimaru asked.

"A solution…" Naruto blinked at his own daring.

"A solution to my problem…"

"Everybody has their own problems, why can't you take care of yours?" Orochimaru asked, humor evident in his voice.

"Nobody has problems like mine." Naruto glanced at him.

"True…does the Kyuubi fit in that category then?" He gazed fiercely at the blonde.

"The Kyuubi is no more a problem than me trying to stay alive. It seems that I can't just fade away…" Naruto spoke softly, marveling at himself for being able to continue a civilized conversation with one whom he regarded as his greatest nemesis (second only to the Uchiha that is). Maybe that new body of his didn't disturb him as much.

"People don't just fade away…they can die and they'd still remain." Orochimaru didn't like the direction of the conversation. He had plans for the boy…

"But I'm a memory…nothing more. An evil reminder for a village not far away…a nightmare…"

"For something you once dearly loved, you seem to avoid mentioning its name almost like a plague." Orochimaru replied.

Naruto looked thoughtful. He gently turned towards the young Otokage and tilted his head.

"People once say…that when you die, your soul departs for Zion. There the angels guide the soul towards the path to either heaven or hell." Naruto gently chuckled." However…if that soul should ever return to his mortal body, he could still live. The consequences however…are that any memory of his loved one would cause the greatest pains imaginable…love almost equaling the intensity of the pain he would feel…"

Orochimaru kept a steady glance at him, his eyes finding the boy before him a sudden enigma.

The boy was still smiling; a bit more like the vulpine smile he used to hide his hurt and pains. He hurt, and he smiled. It was a sight to behold.

"I loved so intensely, that it pained me a great deal more…"

"I lied so much, that the truth doesn't exist for me…"

"I cared so much, that I abused my whole self…"

"Tears and cries for my counterfeit laughs and smiles…"

"It is a feeling I've grown into for so long, my mind spins of emotions unknown…"

Naruto laughed at himself, tears suddenly flowing. The drops stained the black of his kimono, but he didn't mind. He was a memory, wasn't he? A memory that echoed nothing but the past…and the ambitions and desires…

"Now…"

"I love them so much…too much I want to strangle them and kill them…"

"To hear their cries and pains, and think that it is laughter and pleasure…"

"I won't stop…can't stop…I'll make sure everybody feels it…"

"Cries and laughter…tears and joy…all in one…"

"A bittersweet heaven that flows of blood and death…"

Naruto laughed out constricted by his own will, his eyes wide open, evidences of a sudden lack of sanity in them present, tears falling endlessly. He sniggered at the thoughts encompassing his mind of death and blood and desolation; his fingers trembling, imagining the warmth of crimson liquid flowing through them. He clutched his arms at himself, attempting in vain to contain the laughter in him and failed horribly. He laughed and laughed, not caring whether anybody cared or not.

Orochimaru brought his arms around the hysteric blonde and attempted to encroach him in his warmth. The boy had finally settled down laughing after a few moments, only to start crying afterwards.

"Hush, hush…there, there." Orochimaru shushed him down, the boy's cries muffled in the hem of his kimono.

"We'll see what we can do…" Orochimaru grinned, a sibilant grin to be precise.

Naruto hushed down to a minimum, though his tears remained.

"We'll see…"

* * *

Lesson you guys: Do not continuously read SasuNaruSasu fictions for a day. You can get distracted from priorities. 


	8. Soul Embrace

Omake' stuff: This chapter has been revised. Please see Chapter 22 for changes.

And yes, I spent all this time revising this fiction…THRICE! Do you know how much I love my reviewers in a strictly no-meeting basis?

-

Chapter 8: Soul Bind

-

"Are you ok now, Naruto-kun?" Orochimaru tentatively asked the mass of blonde hair desperately huddling in his kimono.

Composing his nerves, Naruto nodded gently, removing himself from the warm embrace of the otherwise cold Kage. He wondered about Kabuto's earlier statement of people having so much power being evil…

"How could somebody so evil and uncaring possess such warmth…" Naruto stared silently at the man fixing his kimono.

"That was the second time you scared me, Naruto-kun. Breaking down in front of me like some thirteen year old…" Orochimaru deadpanned, expecting the boy to retort. The sibilant tone was still there…never lost.

"Iie…I'm sorry…I guess I just lost myself there." Naruto sighed, eyeing the other warily. "It's just so hard to keep all of that everything inside…and I…I needed some sort of outlet…"

"I never thought I would be able to say it…" Naruto looked at his hands, curling it claw-like. "I wanted to kill…not for defense or survival…but just…kill. I want to kill for pleasure…I want to kill for revenge…I want to kill out of boredom…kill without reason…just so I could see blood…"

A smirk of wonder and satisfaction formed in Orochimaru's lips. Almost the same as Naruto has on his own.

"I want retribution…I want justice…I want to let people get what they deserve…of what they did to me…I…" Naruto growled, his indigo eyes turning a brilliant red at the instant surge of chakra.

"Naruto…"

"Huh?" Naruto jolted out of his second daytime reverie, clutching his head almost instantly. "What was I thinking…no…I couldn't do that…they just didn't understand…they don't deserve to suffer just because I did…or do they?"

"Listen to me!" Orochimaru grasped the sides of Naruto's head, forcing the blonde to face him. Naruto's eyes widened at the sudden contact, much less the anger evident in the Otokage's face.

Orochimaru instantly let go at the sight of Naruto's surprised look. This was hard. Why was he getting hyped up over a toy he asked Kabuto to retrieve? He was just a measly boy with his own teenage problems to deal with, so why was the Otokage even bothering himself with them?

"What…did you want to say, Otokage…"

"-sama?" A look of surprise dawned in him.

Naruto glanced sideways, finding the words appropriate, yet hard to say. It was like affirming something you swore wouldn't happen in a million years, but now you just did. Hard to explain…

"I could offer you that life…if you want to…" Orochimaru trailed off.

* * *

Naruto looked at him, a cross of aghast and surprise in his face. Could he really offer that life to him? But a small part of him didn't want the guilt piling up on him, how would he deal with that?

"…minus whatever trivial guilt you might experience." Orochimaru added, seeing the sudden reaction of Naruto on his last statement.

"How…would that even be possible? I mean…no really, if I'd consider that idea…how would it be possible?" Naruto asked, not sure but…the idea was intriguing him.

"It is an ancient long lost technique of a hidden village." Orochimaru reminisced the moment he found out about the technique.

"Fuinshin: Shikon Shibari no Jutsu…"(Sealing Mind: Dead Soul Bind Technique)

* * *

"Fuinshin?" Naruto perked up, wondering if such a stupid (in his opinion) technique even existed.

"Dead Soul Bind Technique" Orochimaru glared at him, wondering whether Naruto's thick headedness didn't die along with his old self. That'd be a probable reason…

"Dead Soul Bind no Jutsu enables a very highly-skilled shinobi to transfer his emotions to a voluntary individual, and through that individual filled with his emotions, accomplish certain tasks. This was common in assassination once. All they had to do was to ask their victim's sons to help them, and through their innocence, surrender their will to the shinobi. They would kill their parents afterwards, with no remorse after the act. All guilt and remorse are drained to the shinobi, but the anger and rage remains in the child. The victim should die afterwards, if the shinobi wishes so. A devastating jutsu indeed…" Orochimaru turned to Naruto.

"How would that…help me?" Naruto asked, not too sure with himself this time. The jutsu was very tempting…

"I can sate those hidden desires, Naruto…almost everyone of them. Your hunger for blood, your need for battle, your desire for glory and recognition, your control of your own power, maybe even your lust for another man…possibly anything you'd want for a small price…"

"Which is…" Naruto flinched at the last "desire" Orochimaru mentioned.

Orochimaru's eyes glinted of something. "All I want is for you to be with me. By my side. As a very…very trusted servant. Such an honor isn't it, Naruto-kun?"

Normally, if he weren't like this, Naruto would have spat in Orochimaru's face and told him to jerk himself off to hell. But now…

"And how…would the jutsu help?" Naruto was on his limits, his mind battling with itself to either accept such a tempting offer or decline it and lose all opportunities.

"It's simple. I'll impose my latent desire for death and destruction on you, fuelling your basic instinct of rending anyone that would look at you differently into shreds. All the guilt afterwards will just drain towards me…ch, like I mind whom you'd kill anyway. All you'd be feeling afterwards is the pleasure of…"

Orochimaru leaned closer, running his tongue on Naruto's ear.

"…blood dripping from your fingers. The exquisite scent of death. The sensation of digging your claws into soft flesh, and feel the life gush out of it. You do want it, don't you? Hmm?" Orochimaru appreciated the sight of Naruto panting and huffing at the thoughts that entertained him. The boy was just too delicious for his own good. The bloodlust running in his eyes almost seemed…erotic.

* * *

"Kyuubi! What am I to do? I'm about to give in…hell, I want to give in!" Naruto turned to the bored fox for council.

"**So do it then…it's been a long time since I smelled of another's blood anyway." **Kyuubi yawned.

"Geh…you're not gonna tell me off and say that I'd be nuts if I conceded Orochimaru's offer?" Naruto looked bewildered.

"**Of course not. I might tell you later why I think so, but for now, just do it. We have our desires to be sated, and mine hadn't been for the last sixteen years now. Besides…I have a back up just in case of unexpected events…"** The fox grinned, somewhat menacing.

"I guess so…I just hope your back up is fool-proof, Kyuubi." Naruto sighed.

* * *

"Yes…"

Orochimaru looked at him, a smile evident in his face.

"Yes, I concede to the offer…" Naruto wiped the sweat collecting heavily on his forehead. There's no turning back now…

"Excellent!" Orochimaru stood up, lifting Naruto from his seat as well. The blonde was absolutely surprised at the sudden action, but found himself laid on to the bed.

Naruto whimpered at the cold he felt when Orochimaru drew his kimono open, exposing his upper half of the body. Orochimaru threw his kimono open as well, letting it hang on his waist. Taking his position, he straddled Naruto's hips and confronted the blonde beneath him.

"Let me ask you one last time, Naruto-kun. This is a different mode of the Shikon Shibari no Jutsu. You will be bound to my body as long as you or I exist. There is no turning back now, and if do not completely volunteer yourself; you will die in the process. Tell me, are you sure?" Orochimaru regarded him seriously.

Naruto was struggling at the sudden contact Orochimaru did, but mouthed a small "yes" before trembling a bit from the sensation. The Otokage smirked at the reaction he was getting from the blonde but decided he'd settle that later on.

"Good…"Orochimaru whispered, as he straightened up and took a deep breath.

Naruto looked in shock as Orochimaru did a number of different seals, all in ten seconds as his hands moved like a blur. Steadily, both their chakras flared up in an instant, Orochimaru's sickly indigo and Naruto's reddish violet.

"Interesting…" Orochimaru smiled, before lowering himself a few inches above Naruto's face. His hands positioned themselves on Naruto's own, their figure in the same form as that of the Sojososai no Jutsu (Twin Snakes Mutual Death).

"Anou…" Naruto whispered softly, his eyes transfixed on the Otokage's own.

"I really had wanted to do this first time I saw you…" Orochimaru grunted, before devouring Naruto's lips with his own. An unexpected feeling of euphoria drifted towards him in an instant

Naruto's thoughts went adrift at the kiss, which almost burned inside him. His eyes suddenly shot up, his throat and his insides somewhat burning.

"Relax…" Naruto heard Orochimaru's voice inside him. "I'm transferring my latent desires and wants towards you…" At this, Naruto somewhat calmed down, pacified that whatever was burning inside him wasn't fire.

* * *

The kiss, or transfer as Naruto dodgingly preferred it, lasted for almost five minutes. Orochimaru broke with a sudden gasp for air the moment he stopped, panting and wheezing. Naruto did the same, albeit a bit calmer. Being on the receiving end wasn't bad…

With their hands still positioned as they are, Orochimaru brought Naruto above him, their positions reversed in an instant. Naruto was now straddling the still-panting Otokage beneath him.

"Your…turn…" He whispered, his eyes somewhat glazed over. "You must…give me…all the emotions…that would plague you…"

Naruto braced himself, summoning his courage to go on with the act. Too late to stop now…

"Pour it all on that single kiss…" Orochimaru gasped, as Naruto reciprocated with the same intensity that Orochimaru gave him. Just as fiery as the desires that he gave for Naruto to nurture and grow into, the emotions that flowed from his mouth were bitter and almost tasted…sad.

"So much guilt…sadness…regret…frustration…it pains you so much, Naruto…so delicious…" Orochimaru murmured in the kiss while Naruto continued on, tears flowing as well.

Slowly, Naruto straightened up, his eyes glazed over as well. Orochimaru had shed tears for Naruto. Slowly, they returned to their former positions, the older teen over the blonde.

"Your pain is different, Naruto-kun." Orochimaru whispered. "It is a pain no one would understand, not even I. Feeling it, I could have been driven to the brink of insanity immediately had I not forgotten it wasn't mine…"

Naruto steadily kept his glance towards the Otokage, his hands tightening at the other's.

"One last seal …so that the bond will be completed." Orochimaru lowered himself once more, his eyes set on the blonde's left shoulder.

Without warning, his fangs dug into Naruto's flesh. Blood spilled forth from the twin wounds; Naruto screamed a silent scream, the chakra in their hands burst open, allowing a connection to be created. The blonde writhed and squirmed in pain, but the Otokage held him securely underneath him. Naruto's blood was very…addictive.

After hesitating for a moment, Orochimaru let go of Naruto's darkening shoulder. The wound had expectedly healed in an instant, though blood still collected in his collarbone, Orochimaru indulged himself and licked at it thoughtfully.

Naruto groaned, the Otokage's face hovered above the blonde's own.

His nose made sniffing noises, Naruto's eyes opened slightly, registering the red in the other's lips. He strained upwards, attempting to lick the smeared blood on the Otokage's lips. Orochimaru smirked, before giving in, kissing the blonde once more, letting him taste his blood on his lips and in his mouth.

Orochimaru had let go of Naruto's hands now, the blond's left hand and the Otokage's right hand bearing a strange seal with a circle on the center and many wave-like tendrils issuing from it.

Finding both of them weak, they decided to spend the day and night just as they were. Naruto, in the warmth of the Otokage's chest, and the other clutching the blonde tighter towards him.

"Saa…oyasumi…"

* * *

Chapter 8: Scene Log

-removed the part where Orochimaru called Naruto 'koi' (translation which could mean 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend' or a person dearest to you.

-removed some few details in Orochimaru/Gen'yumaru's explanation of the jutsu (for old readers, important to read! There will be a few reasons why…)

-revised this thrice. Just so you'd know. Not much diffy though.


	9. A Place in this World

Omake' stuff: Hmm…it seems there's something confusing with my settings. The only AU part in here is with Naruto's 2.5 year absence. For further information, please check Chapter 23 first.

Oh well, what the heck! So long as we enjoy, na? I'll just explain the story each chapter along. You'll get it eventually.

Slight warning of bad language in the near end. Kids are supervised not to progress on…wait…this is an R rating! Why the hell are some kids reading this! –sees evil parents laughing evilly and goading their child to read this fiction-

Some parents… -groans and dies of weirdness and farfetchedness-

Revised thrice…blah. Like anybody cares.

-

Chapter 9: A Place in this World

-

Naruto woke up, slowly, clutching at his head. He groaned a bit, his temples throbbed with pain like hell. The world around him started spinning instantly, halting only after a few minutes.

The blonde slowly touched his forehead with his left hand, and upon seeing it, was surprised to see a strange seal imposed on it.

Nevertheless, he tried standing up from the bed he laid upon. His kimono hung lazily on his waist, his chest exposed and glistening with sweat, his head still mildly throbbing.

"Ohayou, Naruto-kun…"

Naruto grunted a small "hn" before turning around to find out the source of the voice. Still gritting his teeth at the pain he was experiencing, his eyes laid upon the Otokage, fully dressed and smirking slightly.

"Ahh…" Naruto suddenly tilted his head backwards, as if an unknown force had hit him square in the jaw. Overwhelming pleasure almost started to rush in the systems of his body, sending shivers of delight running up and down his spine.

Recovering from the sudden euphoria, his eyes turned back to the Otokage, now somewhat glazed and milky indigo. A smile almost tugged on his lips as he came close, knelt before him and taking his right hand, kissed it gently.

"Orochimaru-sama…" Naruto huskily breathed each word, his head lowered. The Otokage smiled to himself before grasping the blonde's shoulder and brought him up to a standing position.

"Liked the feeling you were getting?" Orochimaru grinned at his new plaything. The blonde softly nodded, still smiling as if his mind was far adrift. Without warning, Orochimaru gave a small peck on Naruto's lips.

The blonde's eyes widened almost in an instant at the sudden movement, but more on the sensations that seemed to radiate from where the Otokage's flesh made contact with his. It almost seemed to him that Orochimaru was a walking euphoria tank…

"Strange things that jutsu can do, Naruto-san?" Orochimaru gently removed himself, earning a slight whimper from the blonde. "I can make you derive pleasure from the mere sight of me, my words can drive ecstasy riding down your spine. How much more a slight touch…or a simple kiss…"

Naruto assented, finding it not so hard to resist contradicting what the person before him was saying. It was after all true…

But he felt he needed to do or say something.

"I wait for your command, Orochimaru-sama…" Naruto bowed, smirking slightly. He liked it…he actually liked saying those words! And he liked prostrating before the Otokage as if the simple act sent wonderful sensations running to his brain.

For the first time in his life, he had found himself feeling good over what he was doing.

"Very good…" Orochimaru gently laughed. "Excellent…"

Naruto was his.

* * *

Naruto hummed softly as he showered in the bathroom. Lathering his hair with the shampoo at hand, he softly smirked at the scent that wafted to his nose.

Lavender and honeydew, such relaxing scents that otherwise calmed his psyche.

His mind was full of nothing but images of the Otokage, their previous night, his words…every emotion he was privy to. It was an enjoyable act, he found out, deriving momentary bliss at the mere thoughts.

He didn't miss the times he cried because of pain that was always there. When people would sport him ugly looks; when they treated him lesser than dirt; when he knows that he was alone in this world. He didn't miss the pain upon seeing Sasuke's enraged look the last two nights, how he managed to break his already battered heart.

He didn't miss Sasuke, did he?

There were two Narutos inside the blonde, one protecting the other by putting on the superficial mask that showed he was alright; the other crying steadily, anchoring his soul to the ground.

They were split, one enjoying the counterfeit affection Orochimaru was giving him, the other wishing that everything would return to the way it was, that he would be back in Konoha, that he'd be there calling the Hokage "Tsunade baa-chan", that Sasuke would appear behind him and call him 'dobe' or 'usuratonkachi'.

The blonde leaned on the tiles of the shower room; water running in rivulets at his back. He was smiling, he was crying. He was riding in pleasure, and he was paining so much.

He wasn't crazy, that much he knew. There was too much duality in him. Part human, now part-demon; tough on the outside and vulnerable deep within, smiling foolishly and crying softly, an idiot to everyone, but a genius to a few known.

He sobbed softly, the water drowning the sound he made. Yet his lips curled up in a sneer, an evil one that promised greater things to be done.

The room echoed his melancholy.

-

The blonde had finished showering, a lop-sided grin still stuck in his face. Nearby, a pile of clothes sat on the bed and beside it, a light-haired shinobi.

"Your eyes are red." Kabuto noted, pointing at his own. Naruto just gave him a fox grin as he took the aforementioned clothes and scrutinized it.

"Orochimaru-sama," Kabuto noted the slight intake of breath in the blonde." has asked that you wear this for the duration of your stay. Not the typical Sound shinobi attire, I believe."

Naruto half-nodded, dropping the towel almost instantly on the floor. Kabuto shrank in awkward shyness and reddened at the sight before him; Naruto was shamelessly well muscled and unblemished. Not a scar on his skin, his body well sculpted, tanned to a perfect coppery orange.

There was no awkwardness in his movement; his actions spoke of well-trained movement, unhurried and precise. It was as if, from yesterday, the clumsy, brash and irrational boy became a matured, serious and soft-spoken teen.

Add sexy and mysterious to the list.

"Na, Kabuto-san…" Naruto just finished the last strap on his shoulder. He stopped as he noticed Kabuto closing the door behind him.

The blonde just rolled his eyes and found himself a mirror at a corner. Checking the strength and quality of the clothing, he deemed himself fit for the Otokage.

He was a wearing a dark, loose tank top (only a few sizes bigger than him) with chain mesh sleeves. Fitting dark pants with white leg covers and standard shinobi footwear on his lower anatomy. A sleeveless black (leather?) cloak hung lazily on his slim waist, supported by a leather belt that came along with it.

"One last detail…" Naruto clutched two items at hand. Two hitai-ates to be precise.

With a swift movement of his hands, Hidden Sound Village's hitai-ate was on his forehead. The scratched Konoha hitai-ate, he smugly wore on his right arm.

Running his fingers on his golden hair, Naruto smirked at himself, his eyes running on the reflection of his body.

"Perfect…"

* * *

It was a good few minutes of silence that Naruto and Kabuto were walking across a forest path that led to the village proper when the blonde decided to break the ice between them.

"You know, Kabuto-san…it's not nice to stare at people around you without any reason at all." Naruto jokingly berated the light-haired shinobi. Kabuto immediately looked away, a small tint of red gracing his cheeks.

"Of course…my apologies. I didn't offend you much, did I…Naruto-sama?" Kabuto spoke quietly, close to whispering.

Naruto turned to his side to gaze at Kabuto, not sure whether he was hearing things correctly. "Did I mishear what you said to me, Kabuto-san?"

"As of this morning, and officially around the village, you are the second highest positioned, whose power is next only to the Otokage." Kabuto shook somewhat, the atmosphere unnerving him.

Naruto gently laughed, finding amusement at the turn of events.

"Me? But I am only a genin, how would little old me become almost like a jounin in an instant?" Naruto teased at the unperturbed teen.

"And you…what do you think of Orochimaru-sama's decision?" Naruto gazed at him, finding momentary pleasure at seeing the light-haired shinobi flinch somewhat once in a while.

"I think," Kabuto let a small whiff of air in his mouth. "…that it is unwise for Orochimaru-sama to trust you immediately, and place so much power over one like you…" He gazed at the blonde almost threateningly.

The birds flew from the trees nearby, as Naruto's cold laugh shook the quiet.

"You are wrong somewhere in those lines, Kabuto-san. We share a…ah…_much more_ deeper understanding…" Naruto momentarily stopped to catch his breath.

"…but over one like 'me', you say? Why? What is 'one like me?' " He smirked, a feral grin on his lips.

If any light was in Kabuto's eyes earlier on, it was as if everything died down in an instant at his next statement.

"You've changed, Naruto-kun…just as if overnight. You speak, act and think almost like the Otokage. It scares me almost, just as if you are his heir…" Kabuto turned his attention forward to the road ahead, not wanting to pursue the conversation.

"His heir? Hah! Orochimaru-sama has no need for such, he has his own power to deal with mortality and such trivialities of life." Naruto stopped walking and grasped Kabuto's arms, turning him around to face the blonde.

"Why, Kabuto-san? Do you think I took your place? That I replaced the position that is yours alone and yours to keep? That I am a threat to your power? Orochimaru-sama's most trusted person is still you! I am nothing but a pawn, a toy, something for the Otokage to play and use! The only reason why he gives me a high priority is that I AM his greatest asset!" Naruto let go of the shinobi instantly, resuming his calm walk afterwards.

"You should thank yourself he treats each and every soldier under you like a human that you are. I am nothing to him but a weapon. A doll that would be thrown out if not needed anymore, a whore whom he can abuse again and again, a puppet for his great plans.

Naruto smiled, turning around to see the shocked look on Kabuto's face.

"You ask why I am still here even though I know those things? Though he treats me just like a weapon, it would be for my pleasure of having an excuse to taste and feel blood on my hands. He can fuck me and degrade me for all I care, because I enjoy it! That's right! I enjoy being screwed senseless by another man! And if that isn't enough, I'm not even full human! I'm half-demon, so why should he care for some mongrel like me!"

"And you know what else? After tonight, I just found out another passion of mine. Slaughtering! Hah, blood will flow through my feet sooner or later! Dark and warm…something I'll be truly looking forward!"

Naruto scowled, pocketing his hands as he resumed walking. Kabuto followed shortly, eyeing the blonde with sad eyes. Naruto's psyche was still on the balance.

"Why can just anybody leave me alone? Just let me live the life I was forced into…I tried living as a human, hoping that somebody would love me and care for me, give me genuine love in return for mine…but it didn't come true…and now I live off only in an illusion…a string of lies…I guess a fake is better than having none at all…" He mouthed softly.

The blonde let out a small grunt before deciding to separate himself from the accompanying shinobi. Kabuto only stared at him as he sped away, dust trailing in his wake.

"I didn't understand you much, Naruto-kun…I'm so sorry…"

* * *

I know I should be sleeping…but what the heck! 


	10. Reformation of the Barrier

Omake stuff: This chapter has been revised. See Chapter 22 for changes.

-

Chapter 10: Reformation of the Barrier

-

Upon entering the village, Naruto almost felt he was walking into some unknown ghost town. There was no lively chatter of men and women, the streets empty and desolate.

The blonde decided to navigate the streets alone, his ears picking up noise en masse a little bit far away. There was a tingling in his left hand before he suddenly knew where to go. As if instinct was leading him across streets and alleyways, the noise turning into indistinct voices, his footsteps leading him closer and closer to the center of the village.

Naruto emerged from the last alley to find himself at the back of a large assembly of Sound shinobis, each talking to themselves as the Otokage looked over them, his sibilant eyes gazing with mild interest at his cohorts. He was atop a platform (maybe erected for the occasion) idly sitting, his legs crossed. On his face was reflected a bit of boredom and annoyance.

Kabuto stood straight below him, his face in irritation at the lax behavior of the shinobis in the presence of the Otokage. Naruto would have almost laughed at the situation, but somehow he couldn't find the humor for it.

Across the distance, he could feel Orochimaru's gaze pierce towards him. Collecting his breath, he steeled himself and walked towards the Otokage, creating a path across the army of shinobis.

Naruto hid his eyes in the fringe of his hair, his lips curled up in an evil smirk (he tended to find the act somewhat intimidating and empowering). Most men parted away from his direction almost instantly, a few voices he heard amidst the tense chattering.

"He's from Leaf Village, how could Otokage-sama…"

"Isn't he that boy with the demon fox…"

"…missing nin. They say the Konoha ANBU are after him…"

"…turn traitor against Konohagakure. Would he do the same to us…"

Naruto's intimidating countenance almost doubled up when he exposed his deathly indigo eyes, his whisker scars creasing up as he grinned feral, his fangs a bit more lengthened now.

From afar, the Otokage drew pleasure from the sight of his men cowering away and threatening to dismember the blonde all at the same time.

* * *

The blonde stood silently in front of the Otokage's platform. Lowering himself in one knee, he placed his right hand on his left shoulder and bent his head.

"At your service, Otokage-sama…" His cloak rustled as a gust blew by.

Far above a tree, a pair of eyes widened at the sight, and disappeared from view at once, a puff of smoke as evidence of his earlier presence.

* * *

"My dear Sound shinobis!" The Otokage's voice rang across the entire assembly. At once, all the nins stood in attention, their sights set straight. Kabuto nodded at their presence of mind.

"…I give to you the boy that holds the demon fox's spirit inside him!" Orochimaru regally held his hand out towards the blonde. In an instant, the rustling of kunais being taken out from their holsters could be heard across.

Naruto inwardly smirked at the Otokage's plan.

"Those who have any differences to settle with the boy…I give you the chance to redeem yourselves of that grudge!" Orochimaru sat back, waiting for a good show.

In an instant at least a hundred shinobi from the thousands lunged towards the boy.

* * *

"TAJU KAGE BUNSHIN NO JUTSU!" (Multiple Shadow Clone Technique!)

Naruto's terrifying laughs pierced across them, as he disappeared underneath them only to show up as a few hundred more above the surprised shinobis. Every clone wore a demented look, from the dark indigo eyes to the hands that flexed more often than once, claws lengthening every second. It was an aerial fight, each shinobi facing a clone in above the stunned crowd.

It wasn't a fight, as Orochimaru would have wanted it though. It was more like massacre…more like genocide at what the blonde was doing. A respective clone struck down each attacking shinobi, each slashing and performing powerful Taijutsu moves most of them dreamed about; Naruto was just standing below them, reveling in the drops and splatters of blood that would come at him.

It was only a good five minutes when it all ended. Naruto's clones had disappeared, only the real one was standing on their corpses, his form, dripping of blood. He was licking his fingers, walking on each one corpse, observing the looks of terror on their faces. This drew satisfied smirks from the blonde, as he returned to his former place before the Otokage and stood in an idle stance.

"I give gratitude for the wonderful sacrifice Otokage-sama has given his servant…" He prostrated slightly, earning shivers running down the spines of the surviving shinobis.

"You are most welcome, my pet…" Orochimaru smirked, snapping his fingers. Blood red snakes appeared from almost all directions, each glowing with a dark aura. They assaulted the lifeless bodies and dragged them all away out of sight, the snake's lithe bodies sponged up the ground, removing any trace of the blood.

A few snakes twined themselves on Naruto, cleaning the blonde up of any crimson trace. By and by, the atmosphere returned to the same tense tone it was earlier.

"I do not need shinobis who cannot work with anyone I choose to put in my employ. And if anyone has doubts…" Orochimaru stopped, a whistling sound growing distinct.

A kunai was thrown towards his direction, yet the Otokage refused to move. A second more and it would have hit him straight in the face, when a blur of golden hair intervened.

The kunai struck Naruto in his left shoulder, the sickly sound clearly distinct as metal hit bone. Naruto didn't flinch however, as a wave of pain swept through him (he was used to it anyways). He wasn't even thinking what; only instinct carried him towards the person that threw the kunai, his claw-like hands faced in a poise to kill. His milky indigo eyes were narrowed down on his prey.

Kabuto was shocked at the speed and agility Naruto had suddenly portrayed. He was, to say the least, surprised, at the sudden response and spontaneity of the blonde's actions. After taking the hit, he immediately directed himself to the target. There was no thought for actions, or what to do next.

He realized it.

Naruto was moving and living on pure instincts alone.

"Let him go, Naruto." Orochimaru's voice was laced with a hint of amusement and threat.

"Let Kabuto go, Naruto."

"Huh?"

Naruto suddenly shook up from his stupor, realizing the light-haired shinobi underneath him. Shaking his head wearily, he stood up and offered his hand to the nin. Kabuto stood up momentarily after.

The blonde impassively removed the still upright kunai on his shoulder ("People have a wonderful sense of making me their targets." He thought to himself.) and returned the weapon to its owner. Kabuto offered to heal his wound, but the blonde shrugged him off. The wound closed on its own accord, the clothing only taking any major damage. Naruto noted to himself of stitching it later on.

"As I was saying…" The shinobis turned their heads towards the Otokage once more. "…Anyone who has doubts with my decision, you best take it up with him." He idly shook his head towards the blonde's direction. Naruto nodded in agreement, turning a heated glare at them. The assembly nodded nervously, wishing the blonde wouldn't turn his eyes at them.

"Naruto…" Orochimaru called the blonde's attention. Naruto turned a glance at him, his face set in placid tone. "Follow me to my office…"

* * *

"…" Naruto's eyes glanced impassively at the boy beside him.

A redheaded boy glanced towards them, there was no surprise in his eyes.

"…" There were no words. Only a bit of passing power between the two happened.

"Naruto, this is Gaara of the Desert. But I assume both of you know each other well know…" He smirked at the chemistry happening between them.

"A pleasure meeting you, Gaara of the Desert." Naruto tilted his head in respect at the boy before him, before returning his attention to the Otokage.

"The reason both of you are here is in concern of the revival of the Sound Four…Gaara-kun, Naruto-kun…" Orochimaru stated.

* * *

And after watching the whole of the current Naruto series, I was pretty weirded out why I wrote Gaara appearing all of a sudden in the Otokage's office. 


	11. Hidden Desires

Disclaimer: It's a scandal! The lawyers are preventing me from saying that I do not own Naruto! Heeeelppppp! They gagged my mouth from saying those four words! And they bound my hands and feet from typing that I don't own Naruto! My last hope was to use my awesome telekinetic abilities! –dream on, Herdeus!-

Major head turner here for old readers. On to the third revision.

-

Chapter 11: Hidden Desires

-

Naruto and Gaara walked quietly out of the Otokage's office, the words of Orochimaru still in their minds…

"_I want the Sound Four revived, because I feel that the shinobis need something to look up to." Orochimaru explained. "It would be unfit for the Otokage to lead an invasion, and much as I would want to…I just don't want." Both boys slightly raised their eyebrows at the last statement. Orochimaru sighed. _

"_I need my private sojourn from the politics and the like. I have no time for my research and myself now. These books…" Orochimaru tilted his head at a pile of neatly packaged scrolls and tomes. "…They've just arrived from different parts of the Fire Country. I've just been itching to tear one and read…" Orochimaru scowled at the paperwork in his desk._

_Naruto raised an open palm, Orochimaru nodded in permission for the blonde to speak. Gaara quietly observed the things happening around._

"_Why wouldn't the Otokage-sama leave the paperwork to Kabuto-san? He is just as capable for matters like these as you are?" Naruto spoke in a soft voice, a smooth baritone._

"_He's having trouble keeping the shinobis in line too. A few miscreants are attempting rebellion and I need to worm out the bad eggs before they spoil the others." Orochimaru waved a lazy hand around. "That is why I need the Sound Four once more. If they can keep the army in line and assess to other matters outside politics, Kabuto can hold my position temporarily, and I can continue my research."_

"_As always, the Otokage thinks for everything. Such sagacity…" Naruto idly bowed before him, signifying his end of turn for speech and earning a blank look from Gaara. _

"_Gaara of the Desert…" The redhead turned his eyes at Orochimaru._

"_Naruto-kun…" The blonde gently smirked at the Otokage._

"_I want both of you to become the first new members of the Sound Four. Work with each other and coordinate your moves well. As for your other two members, it is up to your discretion of whom you would choose…" Orochimaru commanded._

"_However…" He added._

"_Be sure that they will be just as able as both of you. I do not want wimpy warriors on the stable of the Sound Four…" He finished._

_Both nodded in agreement, bowed before the Otokage and left the building silently.

* * *

_

"Gaara…"

"Hm?" Gaara snapped back into attention from his sub-conscious activity of stealing glances at the blonde.

"I find it weird that people just can't confront me and look at me in the eyes. Will you stop staring at me like some piece of crap and look at me straight in the eye?" Naruto deadpanned, still walking forward, his eyes set on a few shinobi that immediately scampered away from their path.

_Well that goes for them to start fearing the Sound Four…_ Naruto thought to himself.

"What made you so proud and mighty?" Gaara spoke softly, irritation at the blonde beside him.

"What I'm telling you is, to stop looking at me from so faraway a distance and just tell me if you want to kiss me or something." Naruto smiled deviously, earning a shiver from another group of shinobis that disappeared in a puff of smoke.

"I'm afraid I don't understand the issue, Uzumaki." Gaara turned to face the blond.

Both had reached the city gateways, the guards somewhat trembling as the blonde passed before them. The sun was still up in the sky, midday being slowly replaced by afternoon.

"Can't take a joke, Gaara?" Naruto turned towards the uptight redhead.

"Hinting anything about my sexuality is hardly a joke between acquaintances, Uzumaki." He gave the blond a bored look.

"Still stuck-up. When will you lighten up, Gaara?" Naruto pouted. Being with him was a no-brainer task.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." Gaara brushed the topic away. "But tell me…why are you here?"

Naruto grinned at him.

"I'm gonna have an excuse to kill. Out of fun. Isn't it neat?"

Gaara turned sideways to glance at Naruto grinning widely. At him.

"You smile just like the Naruto I knew…" Gaara turned towards the blond, his eyes searching the indigo of Naruto's own eyes.

"You dill…" Naruto stuck his tongue out. "…It is me. Uzumaki Naruto. The kid you've known back then…blurts out anything related to becoming Hokage…once."

"Your eyes aren't blue." Gaara stopped walking.

"Long story, and I'm sure you'd appreciate me not telling it."

Both grew quiet, still standing as the wind blew by.

"…Why are you here?" Naruto threw the question back at the redhead.

Gaara took a second longer in answering. "Personal reasons…"

His eye stayed longer upon Naruto's.

There was no warning at all, as Gaara found himself tackled to the ground by the now emotionless Naruto above him. His gourd narrowly escaped damage, but the blonde held on his hands tight, never meaning to let go without his say-so.

The blonde's face hovered a few inches above Gaara's face.

"I'm sure hoping you wouldn't mind me doing this…"

Naruto closed the distance between the two, lightly kissing the boy trapped underneath him on the lips.

* * *

Gaara closed his eyes, momentarily reveling in the soft lips that fell on him and the warm tongue that danced with his own, before realizing that a boy was kissing him.

And not just any boy, his former enemy, the only person he knew shared the same fate as he does…he was Uzumaki Naruto.

"Get off…off." Gaara struggled, using his sand to shove the boy off..

Naruto snapped out of the euphoria of the trapped boy beneath him, smiling idly at the resisting redhead. Shaking his head, he stood up, bringing the boy along with him.

"One more stunt like that, Uzumaki, and you might find sand clogging your arteries and veins…" Gaara threatened the blonde, who just feigned fear and horror at his menace. He really did look frazzled for someone with but a mullet.

Both remained quiet a few moments, Naruto having the ability to remain civil towards the redhead.

Gaara remained calm despite the kiss he just received.

And plagued with this thought, Naruto found himself being the easy target of Gaara's venomous glares.

"What!" Naruto finally raised his hands in exasperation, finding the last glance to be 'one sight too many'.

"What were you thinking…" Gaara mumbled despite himself. "…doing what you did earlier…"

Gaara thought the blonde might double over and laugh at his turmoil, but was surprised to see him stop walking all of a sudden and regard him with troubled eyes.

"You're the most asexual guy I've met, you know that?"

"I fail to see your point." Gaara frowned, not finding to be the attention of those indigo eyes a comfortable thing to be.

He was surprised once more when Naruto shoved him on a nearby tree and assaulted his lips once more, the kiss rough and forceful this time. Naruto's hands ran up and down the boy's side (the gourd miraculously keeps escaping damage!) finding no resistance from the redhead as the hands of the said person were traveling on the back of Naruto's head.

Gaara whimpered on the kiss, finding it too hard to resist. Who knew that Uzumaki had a talent with those lips and tongue of his? Not to mention having his rock-hard abs pressed towards him resulted into some "things" happening in his body.

Naruto slowly released the redhead before him, Gaara regarded him with curious eyes.

"Maybe we can change that. I really don't want to be stuck with a guy as frigid as you are…maybe we can turn you into something more of a seductive bishounen, eh?" He huskily said, grinning devilishly at the slight blush he received.

"Baka…" Gaara looked sideways, as the blonde removed himself from him, walking a few paces farther away.

"Idiot…baka…" He muttered under his breath.

A few feet away, Naruto's ears twitched, a smile forming on his lips.

* * *

"Hey, idiot blond…" Gaara muttered, as the blonde was busy preparing a fire. Night had settled in for the two, and they had been a goodly distance from the village now. Naruto had bent some trees together and tied them at their branches, creating a tent like structure for them as shelter for the night.

"Eh?" Naruto looked up from where he was tying the branches down.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"Personal business at a mountain in the Fire Country." The blonde shifted his eyes towards the redhead, before returning to the venison at hand, slicing the meat with his pocketknife. He had earlier caught a deer that unfortunately passed their way. Naruto was hungry and caught it, having some idea what to do with it later.

It was a good site, they had found out. A small stream was nearby, providing water and a relaxing sound. Fireflies on the bank provided ample lighting for the otherwise moonless night. Naruto had collected some water from it before using the river as a place to clean the carcass. Nearby, an outcrop of rock salt seemed to have sprouted from the earth. The blonde was grateful it was there; he had something to season the otherwise bland meat. Pepper plant and cinnamon trees grew nearby, Naruto had gone through pains to grind the spices and add scent to their meal.

Gaara felt special at the meal presented to him. Broiled venison in aromatic leaves. Steamed rice encased in bamboo. Hot tea from Naruto's flask.

"Go on…" Naruto prodded the redhead, who hesitated to take the meal, as Naruto's own meat was still sputtering in its own oil by the fire. The blonde's excited face however humored him to partake in his meal. Gaara said a short 'itadaikimasu' before eating.

"It's good…it tastes good, Naruto …" Gaara grinned despite himself, eating more of the meat and taking some of the bamboo-flavored rice. The warm tea still wafted steam, warming Gaara's chilly feeling of the night.

"Kansha shitemasu…" Naruto puffed out, releasing the breath that he'd been holding. "I thought this meat was poisonous, good thing you were there to test it first though…" he grinned foolishly, earning a lump on the head from Gaara's consternation.

"Just joking, Gaara-san…" Naruto ruefully rubbed the lump, which throbbed somewhat.

"Just joking, huh?" Gaara whispered.

"That's a word you would say often to people around you…" Gaara spoke softly.

"Maa…stop dwelling in the past, Gaara-san. It's not good for digestion, mind you…" Naruto jokingly berated, returning to the piece of meat at hand.

"Can't help it. One moment, you're here taking things lightly and joking and acting all human just like that. The next thing I'd know is I see those murderous indigo eyes, your lips craving for human blood, your hands seeking the warmth of it! Naruto…you scare me. More than Shukaku can do." Gaara had set his lips in a straight line, his eyes braving the turmoil of Naruto's indigo.

Naruto's jaw just hung at the words the redhead said.

"I don't want to work with you… I don't want to work with a person that could love and kill in an instant like I do. I can't work with somebody that continues to hide behind a mask even when the need is gone. I can't work with someone who can't face his own destiny, who hides from it." Gaara abruptly stopped as a warm embrace encroached him.

"Thank you…" Naruto whispered.

"For someone I thought to be insensitive once…you spoke more truths to me than the whole string of lies that village once casted upon me…" Naruto tightened his embrace, tears silently falling. Slowly, he removed himself from the other boy.

"I've thrown my human side away, because it had been hurting too much for me to bear. You'd understand that Gaara-san…if you did the same as mine…hide behind a mask that always bore foolishness and eternal optimism…and maybe more when you can feel the pain of harboring a demon inside of you…"

"I made a mistake in keeping all of it to myself…doing so made me only harbor a grudge so deep that it fueled a demon inside me. No…not the Kyuubi…but a more dangerous kind. You are not indifferent to this demon, Gaara…as also those who possess our curse…"

"Hatred. That was its name. It seeped through me, and slowly, I became spiteful and sought blood that would quench the fires set by hatred. I may kill the entire world, Gaara-san…" Naruto leaned in closer to his ear, as if sharing a dark secret.

"…I may kill even Orochimaru if I so desire, but it is not his blood nor the world's…what I desire…is the blood of Konoha…"

Naruto smirked, glinting evilly, as he stood up and passed by the stunned redhead. Settling under their makeshift shelter, he turned to Gaara once more.

"Oh, by the way, please put the fire out if you plan to sleep later on, Gaara-han. We don't want to burn the forest down. Come sleep beside me afterwards, we can share each other's warmth. Have a good night!" He cheerfully said, yawning afterwards and falling into slumber.

* * *

Gaara decided to put the fire out after a good one hour of guarding the place, deeming that there were no wild, hungry animals at all. The fireflies immediately settled in their makeshift shelter, providing a gentle light on the branches. The redhead smiled, seeing the gentle features of the blonde sleeping underneath. Throwing everything away in careless abandon, he forgot everything that Naruto was, set his gourd aside, and snuggled towards the blonde's warm body, using his outstretched arm as a pillow.

The blonde impulsively closed on around Gaara, pressing him closer to his body. Gaara whimpered somewhat, as he was given a point-blank view and feel of Naruto's body.

It was one night when Gaara was redder than his hair.

_To be in truth, Naruto-kun…I wanted to believe that you were a fake. Because I just know…that deep inside…you are hurting more than what you claim to be. That fact, I know much because I am privy to your deepest emotions. Each breath of air you let out tells a story of sorrow and misery._

Gaara came closer and buried his head in the clothing of the blonde.

_So, even just for this night, I offer you my solace and condolence. For your denial of pain. For your mask of suffering. For everything that you threw aside._

_For the Naruto, I had loved, whom you killed by denying he even existed._

_What I see is nothing more but an echo of that moron I had come to despise and respect. Respect and possibly more. I may grow to possibly love this echo that remains of the hyper-active blonde that once was._

_But always remember…_

_There may be possibly more than one person, other than me, crying because…_

_Naruto Uzumaki…is dead._

Both slept in each other's arms, no star witness to the lone tear that fell from Gaara's impassive eyes.

"_To the one I had grown to hate and love…"_

Gaara whispered, finally closing his eyes for another tomorrow.

* * *

Awww, a poetic Gaara. –shivers running down my spine- It really warms the cobbles…hardy-har-har.

This is a major revision in my part. I've removed the one OC I've created. Poor her, yeah, life is unfair. So anyway, I hate making OCs, don't sue me for removing my character. She sucks anyway.


	12. Him Once More

Omake' stuff: I'm sick. No, really. I'm sick right now. My immune system is prolly in shambles. Ugh, I don't think I can pull a triple update as compromise for the last two (or three…or four…and counting…) days. M' sorry about that…but I did a second compromise and made an extra long chapter for you. There's not much yaoiness in the chapters up to date because I'm denying myself of the good stuff until the time when the plot needs it…then I'll let the dam break lose and…POW! Yeah, yeah…that's me, eating the cake before tackling the icing.

Oh, and I did that marshmallow test…the one that tests your EQ or emotional quotient…I failed…terribly. The moment the marshmallow arrived on my plate, I threw it on the floor and cried. The researchers said I'd be an emotional masochist. They were right…I did. -gets the creepy feelings-

Feh, third time's the charm…or in this case, third revision.

-

Chapter 12: Him Once More

-

-_ Little black and white flashbacks that reminds a person's past_-

"_Oi, Naruto-kun! Why the rush?" Sakura called out after the blonde, waving her left arm up. Uzumaki, after saying his goodbye at their most recent D-class genin mission, sped towards the Ichiraku's._

"_Ah, you know that boy, Sakura." Kakashi plopped a hand on the pink head. "The boy's probably going to treat himself to a bowl of ramen." He propped a mini-pedestal on the girl's head and placed his Icha Icha Paradaisu on it, consternating the pink-haired kunoichi._

"_Oi, dobe! Wait up! I'll treat you to a bowl…" Sasuke called out, surprise almost taking over when the blonde didn't give a turn of his head towards him._

"_Thanks, Sasuke-kun! But see you some other time! I'm in kinda a rush." Naruto called out, waving a cheerful arm as he disappeared on the other block._

"_That's strange…he never passes the chance for free food…" Kakashi mumbled, amidst the jaw drop of the kunoichi, wanting Sasuke to treat HER instead. _

"_Ne, Ojisan!" Naruto called out from the entrance of the Ichiraku's._

"_Good evening, boy. The usual, I presume?" The kindly owner asked the blonde, while tending to the order of the other customers._

"_Hai! And please…" Naruto came in and leaned closer to whisper. "…add the 'other' usual…" He looked around suspiciously, as if someone is bound to listen._

"_Ah…I see. Take-out, then?" The owner winked, going towards the kitchen and disappearing a few minutes. He popped up later, a wooden delivery box on hand._

"_Arigatou, Ojisan…" Naruto spoke softly, dropping a few pieces of coin on the man's hand. "I'll be sure to return the box later…" He shuffled, walking a bit faster out of the shop._

_The owner just gave a gentle wave as the boy left._

"_I'm sure you will…"_

"_**Going to that place again, are we?** _

"_It's nice…" Naruto hushed the voice inside him. "…People don't go there too much. Its quiet in there." _

"**_I miss home. Makes me want to consider clawing out of you." _**

"_Oh, now don't give me that. This is the best I can do for both of us in short notice. Not my fault you led me to that place." The blonde grinned to himself._

"_Home is where the heart is. I have no home where Konoha stands…just an empty apartment where I spent most of my childhood. But you know, I manage to bring my home anywhere."_

_The blonde touched his heart._

"_You are the closest I can turn to Kitsune…you're my brother and father…YOU are my family… and inwardly may have been the greatest adventure I have ever ran into. You will always be my home." Naruto said with great resolve._

"_**Naruto…thank you…for what a demon's word is worth. Maybe someday, you'll actually find someone to give you a real home." **Naruto felt a warm feeling flood from his stomach._

_Naruto could do nothing but rub the feeling inside and smile.

* * *

_

"So…we're going to that mountain…" Gaara took a glance at the blonde beside him. Naruto let out a small 'uh-huh' as a reply, thoughtfully nibbling a small blade of grass on his lips.

"Your fourth Hokage actually prepared Kyuubi's downfall more than just a sealing jutsu. He actually sealed the demon's source of power, that mountain we're going to." Gaara took mental notes, his eyes at the almost aloof blonde. Naruto replied another small 'uh-huh' and folded his arms over his head.

"Are there any other answers I can get besides you except 'uh-huh'?" Gaara drawled the last word out, emphasizing his irritation at said blonde. Naruto shook from the stupor of his reverie, grinned at the redhead, and said…

"Uh-huh." The blonde replied, showing his fangs.

"…" Gaara threw a sand ball at him, which Naruto earnestly dodged.

The sun was up above their heads; midday has begun.

* * *

Both the two bishounen settled in a nearby stream to drink, the sun pounding relentless heat on the dry earth.

"So…Gaara…what made you join the Sound Four?" Naruto asked without hesitation. The redhead halted for a few moments before dunking his head on the stream, coming out with his hair, sopping wet.

"Thanks…" Gaara mumbled, as the blonde handed him a towel to dry his hair. The blonde idly kept an eye on him as he patiently waited for an answer.

"As I told you, personal reasons."

Naruto raised an eyebrow at what Gaara said.

"Call me crazy, but I have a feeling…is it about me?"

"Yes, you."

Both resumed walking, a speck of gray in the distance.

"How sardonic…" Naruto sighed, pocketing his hands as he stared towards the blue sky above.

"Unbelievable?" Gaara spoke softly.

"Nobody before gives a fuck about me…it's hardly believable that someone outside the village does…" Naruto shrugged.

"I need to learn…"

"Huh?" Naruto glanced sideways towards him.

"It hasn't been a rumor that you might be the Hokage one of this days, and I am preparing myself to be the Kazekage myself…the council would not approve unless…" Gaara ruefully scratched his head.

"Unless…" Naruto prodded him.

"Unless I learned life outside being a nin…they said all I know is how to kill a thousand ways and that stuff, so they said that in order to become a Kage, I must learn more than just being a nin…" Gaara huffed.

"So…what does that have to do with me? And besides, I'm not going to be a Hokage…" Naruto spoke softly at the last sentence."…I've given up that dream…"

"You are the only one that I know would understand me…as also a bearer of a demon. They gave me this…" Gaara extracted a necklace from his neck, with it a dark-red vial of some sort.

"If I should ever fill this up…" Gaara brought the object to the sunlight; it showed a few centimeters of a strange liquid inside. "…I can return to my village and take the position of Kazekage."

Naruto took the bottle from Gaara and scrutinized it.

"This bottle determines how much a person learns, and grows. They gave me specific instructions not to return if it isn't full to the brim or if a crack appears on the bottle's surface." Gaara took the bottle back.

"You've weird rites…but I still don't get what that has to do with me…"Naruto queried.

Gaara hesitated before answering.

"It's weird…but the elders said to pursue the holder of the demon fox's spirit."

Naruto raised a golden eyebrow. Gaara continued.

"At first, I was surprised by what our spies told us…that you were in Hidden Sound. I thought you were some prisoner or hostage of some sort, and I was really surprised that other day when…you decimated those shinobis just like that…you've grown as heartless as Orochimaru…"

Naruto failed to hold a smirk back at that comment, sending shudders running up Gaara's back.

"Orochimaru offered me a place in the Sound Four, along with you as a teammate. I reckon I had no choice, figuring that you might have been brainwashed of some sort, until I learned that…well…you weren't."

Gaara folded his arms across his chest.

"It is so weird, it just started to fill up yesterday. Before I met you, it was stark empty…dry. But just this morning, when I woke up, it was cool and there was this liquid inside…"

Naruto looked thoughtful for a moment, before realization dawned on his face. He knew what might the answer be to Gaara's predicament was, but he wasn't going to make it easy on the clueless redhead.

"Don't worry, Gaara-kun…" Naruto turned around and tapped his hitai ate with his right index finger.

"It's all in your head…" He grinned, earning a puzzled look from the redhead.

A few miles away, Konoha became more and more distinct.

The blonde and the redhead continued walking while talking towards the village, with Gaara noticing that the blonde's cheerful countenance was starting to slowly degrade into more serious ones, the topics that were from what favorite pillow Gaara likes turning into which part of the body would a poison-tipped kunai would do the most damage.

Gaara piffed.

* * *

(AN: **piff**: verb. (Etymology: Modern English puff + Nihon English) pif to puff out in exhaustion, out of boredom, consternation or frustration; to let out collected air in the mouth into a visible sigh.

-In doujinshi/manga terms, this is where a person takes a neko form and puffs a breath of air or sighs audibly)

* * *

"I'd feel more comfortable if we'd just stop talking, Naruto…" Gaara looked away, eyes evident of sadness and worry.

"Huh?" Naruto wondered. "Wasn't this one of those interesting things we'd talk about a few years ago?"

"Much as I hate to admit it, yes, that was true a few years back. But not now. I need to learn things in life, new things. Not just how to maim or decapitate a person properly, but how…" Gaara noticed as Naruto's glazed eyes thought over the blood that would result from…

"…" Gaara brought the blonde falling back on his ass, hard. What else by throwing a larger, harder sand ball at the nin.

"Oww…hey, can't a person daydream for once without anyone throwing things at him?" Naruto ruefully rubbed his bum.

"That's not the point…smartass." Gaara narrowed his eyes at the apologetic blonde.

Naruto sighed, and jumped up towards a very, very tall tree. He beckoned for the redhead to follow him.

Both sat on a very high branch and Gaara finally understood, as Naruto pointed towards a village.

"You'd understand me, Gaara…when you are forced to return to a place you swore never to turn your eyes again to. I can never look at this village again the way I used to…all I see is the ugliness beneath it. See this…" Naruto brought his hand up; his nails have lengthened into claws."…it takes every ounce of self-control for me to not to fall on that god-forsaken village and rend it until no one is alive…" Naruto heard his voice almost breaking.

"Then...why? What's stopping you from destroying the village you so hated?" Gaara wanted to know the answer.

He could see emotions like summer storms on Naruto's indigo eyes, swirling and crashing, the blonde couldn't find the voice to say his answer.

"I…anou…orders…Orochimaru-sama…I have no authorization for such a mission…" The blonde wiped a lone sweat on his forehead, gulping down anything that tried to well up from his throat.

Gaara could see through the lie, knew that Naruto could do well what he could damn please and Orochimaru wouldn't give a damn for it. But he didn't need to prod the boy to tell the truth…

…the single tear that the blonde refused to wipe away was enough for Gaara to make answers for himself upon.

'C'mon Sasuke-kun! Kakashi-sensei is waiting for us!" A girl's voice reached their ears.

Naruto suddenly shook up, his eyes searching the ground below them for the source of that voice.

"Sasuke…"

* * *

Ah…this isn't a cliffhanger. That's because the other chapter is waiting for you when you click that lovely indigo (Ohh….indigo) button down at the lower right.

I'm not that evil an author. –goes neko mode and curls up in the couch to rest-

P.S. I guess you know what Gaara has to learn in order to fill the vial up, right? -mimics Naruto-kun's actions...-

"It's all in your head..."

Achoo! –sniff-


	13. Enter Konoha

Omake stuff: This chapter has been revised. Please check Chapter 22 for changes.

Just so you'd know, third revision is in the question…whatever that means.

-

Chapter 13: Enter Konoha

-

Naruto's eyes scanned the area, finding his blood jump at the mere name. The seal on his left hand also seemed to have sparked alive, sending tingling sensations on Naruto's arms.

He forgot whose voice it was that spoke the name…

…but he didn't forget Sasuke.

His indigo eyes fell on a couple below them, a pink-haired kunoichi trying to stick on the dark-haired boy's arm. The boy just shrugged her off, finding irritation at the girl's incapacity to identify rejection in the first impression.

"Why do we have to rush when we know he'll be later than us?" Sasuke grimaced, knowing that they'll be the one doing the waiting instead of their jounin-sensei.

"Just because he'll be late doesn't mean we can also." Sakura reprimanded.

"Ch…" Sasuke walked a little faster, away from the place. Sakura only grew quiet, knowing what was troubling the raven-haired teen.

"Naruto…we didn't do it…" Sakura whispered, regret creeping in her heart.

* * *

"Sasuke…"

Gaara carefully looked at the blonde beside him.

"Sasuke…"

The blonde clutched at his head, his eyes wide and looked unbelieving. He was shivering, almost as if having a very bad fever. He was gritting his teeth as if in unbelievable pain.

"Why! WHY! Why can't I remember who he is! I know that somehow, I know him! But he suddenly seems nothing more!" Naruto struggled, his head wracked in pain and pleasure.

"It pains…it feels good. I feel like the pain is killing me, yet I want it to! I'm crying…yet I'm still smiling! No! No! No!" The blonde shook his head, crying and sobbing yet his demented smile was kept on.

"Who are you, Sasuke! Who the fuck are you! How do you affect me so!" Naruto silently screamed.

The seal on his left hand burned darkly.

Naruto felt he was burning, burning in dark flames. He suddenly felt isolated once more, a feeling he tried to forget by finding pleasure in human blood. Wasn't blood a good price enough to forget that certain feeling of isolation? He thought he can forget about this…run away from this…

Something cool tapped his arm.

Naruto opened his eyes to see the expanse of Gaara neck. He wasn't crying anymore, he wasn't even in pain anymore; even the fleeting pleasure was dying down. Everything was suddenly turning…calm.

Naruto heard a drop fall somewhere on Gaara's chest.

* * *

The redhead did not hesitate to embrace the convulsing blonde the moment he acted up. Gaara shuddered at the emotions playing on the blonde's face…

Fear.

Pain.

Insanity.

Confusion.

Hopelessness.

Suppression.

All of it sparked by one name…Sasuke.

He rushed forward, finding no awkwardness as he encircled his arms on the shivering blonde, who kept mumbling the name over and over again.

For the first time, Gaara wished…Gaara prayed.

Gaara prayed that the blonde would be well…that he would stop…that his pain and discomfort would at least cease just for this moment when he would hold the blonde…

The gods didn't seem to turn a deaf ear on him.

The blonde suddenly stopped crying, stopped shivering, stopped doing the things that scared the redhead.

Stopped being in pain…

He was a bit more surprised when the blonde nuzzled his neck, when the blonde's arms settled to embracing him in return.

Naruto's hairs tickled Gaara's nose, the scent that of cinnamon and other spices. Gaara felt the few rogue tears that escaped Naruto, but he felt the warmth of the blonde's smile on his neck too.

Moments later, the two separated from their stance. The setting sun had cast a dull orange at the two boys who gazed at each other, eyes drawn in confusion.

* * *

"Anou…that'd be the last time I'm breaking down in front of you…" The blonde tried to break the awkward silence developing between them.

"Ah…you should be. You're much scarier when you cry…" Gaara awkwardly replied, trying to lighten the situation.

"I…" Both boys said the same word, at the same time. Silence reigned once more as the two found the situation a bit cumbersome.

"Shit…ok, here it goes. Uh…thanks for doing that, Gaara…I felt almost lost back then…I didn't know what to do…" Naruto mouthed out first, trying to resolve things.

"Uh…you're welcome…I guess. I mean…what are friends for…" Gaara replied hesitatingly, when he just realized that he said the word.

_Friends._

The redhead shyly looked away, not finding the right face for the blonde beside him. Should he look surprised? Look disgusted? Feign ignorance? Or just be impassive?

"Gaara…"

Naruto grasped the redhead's chin, gently bringing it to his direction. The boy did not make any form of resistance, but he gave no opposite effort either. He just sat still, waiting for the blonde to make the next move.

"Thanks…" He simply muttered, before planting a chaste kiss on the almost-surprised Gaara.

Almost, since he was anticipating the kiss anyhow.

* * *

"You know…" The redhead idly leaned on the tree trunk behind him, both of them still meters high above the tree. It was turning night when their predicament had ended."…all of this kissing business…you'd think its normal for boys like us?"

"What?" The blonde observed the guards stationed in the gates at a distance, his fox eyes turning back into a human's. "You care of what others think? I don't see any weakness in being a satyr." He grinned his fox grin.

"I wouldn't call it that way…considering I never looked at another girl or boy 'the other way'. But somehow, when it comes to you…I just don't know…" The redhead fumbled with his words not finding sexuality an easy topic.

"Must be my devilishly good-looking body and my hot charms…" The blonde bit his finger and struck a vulnerable pose, earning a blushing redhead and a punch on his shoulder.

"I'm serious…what if one day I want an heir for myself? I wouldn't get a single…"

_Heir._

Naruto suddenly felt dizzy, his vision blackening. Wobbling somewhat, he fell limp, letting gravity take him to his obvious course…

"Naruto!" Gaara immediately lunged for the said blonde when he noticed his consciousness failing him. The blonde still looked woozy, his hand gently slipping.

"Shit…" Gaara cursed, feeling the blonde let go.

He immediately jumped from the branch, speeding towards the ground faster than the blonde.

"Fuuton: Mugen Saijin Daitoppa!"(Wind Release: Infinite Sand Cloud Breakthrough!)

Doing a seal with his hand, he immediately spewed a large amount of sand from his mouth.

Both of them slid down the small sandy hill, safely landing on a grassy patch.

* * *

-_Naruto's mind…kinda looks like a T.V. screen…Naruto's perspective_

_(static) _-1-

_(wind whistling on his ears)_

_(the moon on his right shoulder)_

_(static)_

_(his Kage Bunshins in all directions…running…)_

_(hidden in a clump of leaves in a tree)_

"_Psst, Sasuke…"_

_(static)_

_(static)_

"_About Naruto! You heard what he said!"_

_(static)_

_(static)_

………………_and it pains me so much……….to see him………..don't know why……….._

_(static)_

_(static)_

…………………_.responsibility…….clan…….don't think Naruto can offer me an heir?…………._

…_don't think Naruto can offer me an heir?_

… _don't think Naruto can offer me an heir?_

…_offer me an heir?…Naruto…offer me….Naruto…an heir…don't think… don't think Naruto can offer me an heir?…Naruto…don't think….can offer me an heir…an heir… don't think Naruto can offer me an heir? don't think Naruto can offer me an heir? don't think Naruto can offer me an heir? don't think Naruto can offer me an heir? don't think Naruto can offer me an heir? don't think Naruto can offer me an heir? don't think Naruto can offer me an heir?_

_(dead static)_

* * *

"Puah!" The blonde shook up, panic written in his face at the very bad dream. Beside him was the worried redhead, sitting quietly.

"Listen…I…I have to go inside…food…supplies…I'll be back shortly…" The blonde shook off the nightmare and composed himself.

"Here…" Gaara said simply, throwing a black scarf at him. "Cover your whisker scars with that. Even Henge no Jutsu wouldn't hide you. At least that scarf would hide them."

"What do you mean, Henge no Jutsu wouldn't hide me?" Naruto queried, loosening and wearing his hitai-ate on his neck. He covered it with the scarf on hand, wrapping it on his neck and head just like a face mask he saw a jounin wore passing by earlier -2-.

"There are…persons there with bloodline limits capable of seeing through the illusion of Henge. You can use Henge to just age yourself. Don't change yourself, it'd be a dead giveaway." Gaara gave out his final reminder. "I'll just wait here for you to come back…"

Naruto nodded, turning around, he gave a short wave and left. He disappeared in a puff of smoke and reappeared a bit taller than before.

"You can come out, Kabuto…" Gaara called out from behind. A light-haired nin appeared.

"Orochimaru-sama asks that you give this letter to Naruto-san…" Kabuto handed a folded piece of paper. Gaara curtly received the letter, waiting for the light-haired nin to disappear.

"Don't get too close to the Otokage's toy, Gaara-kun…for your sake…" He warned, disappearing in a teleporting jutsu.

Gaara contemplated on the letter at hand, softly whispering to himself.

"Too late…I already am…and somehow…I care so much more for him than I care for myself anymore…"

Gaara's vial was now one-fourth full that day.

* * *

The guards didn't even dare to question the blonde that passed by, opening the gates without hesitation. Naruto only looked at them, a bit of surprise at the action but went on, squeezing the opportunity for all its effort.

He didn't hear the whispers the guards murmured.

"Yon…daime?"

* * *

Oh, my! The story is now clogged with so much plot!

1 For those tv owners with no bluebacks (bluebacks – TV sets that automatically replace any channel, with no signal, with a blue screen. This is more common with modern TV sets.), this is what happens when a signal is weak, doesn't exist, or disappeared. Garbling sound and random slivers of black and white lines litter in the screen. In humans, this is what happens when a memory becomes corrupted, half-remembered or is partially destroyed. The undecipherable part of a memory becomes static. X3

2 The jounin he saw was no other than Kakashi-sensei! Go KakaIru!

REVISED CHAPTER! THREE TIMES!


	14. Story Telling

Omake stuff': This chapter has been revised. Please check Chapter 22 for changes.

And further more, this has been thrice revised. Hooray…

-

Chapter 14: Story telling

-

The ten-year older Naruto trod the dirt path towards a place being directed by his instinct. Somewhere, somehow, his nose was leading him to a place where the distinct smell of broth and noodles wafted gently, and the sounds of merry men could be heard with the clinking of tea cups and sake bowls.

What he found irritating, however, was how people looked at him.

It was simple; he was a cloaked Nin, probably a visitor from some other hidden village. He is here in Konoha to obtain supplies and nothing more. Probably pass by, obtain food, and business done.

But there was a certain inclination of irritation when some people (especially the old ones) would look at him with doe eyes. When some would gently tug at his cloak and murmur some words of respect. When some would bow behind him and others would stare at him slack-faced.

He was supposed to go unnoticed, damnit! Not be revered like some goddamn deity!

* * *

The humble shop came into view, a tingle sweeping in the blonde's skin. Gently sweeping the curtain aside, he entered the shop.

"Irrashaimasen! Welcome to the Ichiraku's!" A voice welcomed him.

Naruto gently nodded, secure in the knowledge his Henge no Jutsu would hide him. He slowly took a seat in the counter and waited.

"Good evening! And what will be your order?" He took a piece of paper and pen.

"Two bowls of ramen dattebayo…" Naruto spoke, not realizing what he said before stopping. The owner gave the blond a raise of an eyebrow before asking again.

"…datte bayo?'…" He was starting to form suspicions.

"Please hurry…" He mumbled softly, his scarf moving somewhat. The owner's eyes lit somewhat, but he said nothing, as if his suspicions were answered. A small smile just played on his lips.

"Just wait here …" He said, smirking somewhat.

* * *

Naruto's ears twitched at the conversation going on around him. Passing boredom off, he found a few somewhat interesting…

"…the missing nin from last week was captured by Hidden Sound…"

"…Godaime is actually considering resignation right now…the only thing stopping her is that no one is worthy enough to take her place…"

"…even with political unrest among the villages, why isn't anyone worried about upping the security level around Konoha?"

"…the chuunin exams are nearing…many Kages and their envoys are gonna arrive in the next few months…"

"…the Godaime warned everyone not to venture near the dark mountain on the east. Many a nin have lost their lives there…"

The owner came out with order in hand, Naruto forgot to mention take-out.

"Excuse me, Oji-san…but I'd like to ask for the order to be…" Naruto was immediately stopped when he was presented a large wooden delivery box on the counter.

"…two bowls of ramen. Take-out. I made sure to add an extra helping of…naruto…" He winked, receiving the payment for the said order. The blond kept a straight composure, but surprise was deep inside him. -1-

He was almost walking away, when he turned towards the owner, who patiently waited for him to do so. He raised a hand at him and stopped him further from saying.

"…I'm sure you'll return that later on. Just go!" He winked once more, before turning to clean the counter. Naruto failed to keep his jaw from dropping.

"…Creepy…" He thought to himself.

* * *

"Are you ready?"

The blonde was surprised as he exited the small ramen shop. Outside was a red-haired-maiden with a gourd hanging on her waist like a duffel bag…only just that…it was a gourd.

"Gaara…what the hell are you doing in here! I thought you'd wait outside…" Naruto was stopped when he was presented a letter, unopened, right in front of his face.

"Kabuto asks to give this to you…" Gaara slightly whispered, taking the box from Naruto's grasp. The blonde lightly touched the letter before opening it.

_I trust that you will not do anything to endanger your position while in Hidden Leaf, my pet. And I will not ask what your business would be in there. However, what I would like to know is what that slew of confusion and excitement that overtook me this afternoon._

_Knowing myself, I'd say it was either you found out the Uchiha descendant that is Sasuke…or you regaled in another bloodbath…whichever I don't care._

_By now, you might have lost some memories, of which I assure you are not important for the life you have undertaken for me. I have removed them for the past few days, and weeks will come when you will remember nothing except your service to me. I have found these memories rather…inconvenient for both of us._

_Sasuke is vital to my plans…you may 'play' with him, but don't do any major bodily harm that can impede his ability to fight later on. The others you can deal with in anyway you please, but the boy is mine. _

_You are to report, with the remaining members of Sound Four, by next week. I don't care whether you will be still one or two members short, but I need you, and Gaara, to return by next week. The chuunin exams will come up shortly, and much as I am also invited as the Otokage, I need you by my side then for 'personal' reasons._

_That is all for now, I will have Kabuto follow your trail when I need to send more messages. Until then, enjoy your journey…I don't believe your nights are lonely with the boy from Sand anyhow._

Naruto turned red at the last statement, but he crumpled the paper and threw it in the ground, bursting into flames as it did so.

The disguised Gaara looked at him thoughtfully, and murmured where to go.

* * *

"Back from where we entered?" The redhead turned towards the taller blonde, carrying the box on both hands before him. Naruto just trotted silently, his cloak billowing as he did so.

"There's a route there that I still remember. Thankfully, Otokage-sama hasn't removed that part of my memory left…" The blonde was now starting to massage his temples.

"Are you ok?"

"Yeah…I…just feel that something's missing inside me…" Naruto grunted, his baritone voice improved by temporary aging.

Gaara narrowed his eyes at this. _That snake is really making sure Naruto would be his. _

"Should we take up lodging for the night?" Gaara piped up in his feminine voice.

Beside them, children were going out of their houses in droves. Some in their gennin attire were dragging their older chuunin brothers or sisters, while others packed in groups of three or five.

Both nins felt embarrassed at being surrounded by a lot of chibis.

"Anou…hey, chibi…" Gaara stooped to a petite, young boy with dirty blonde hair. Said boy stopped and gazed at the redhead, feeling awkward and turning red immediately.

"Where is everybody going to?" Gaara asked, noticing the slight crush the boy before him was showing. He reminded himself to drop this jutsu when they get out of town. He didn't miss the slight snicker the blonde beside him gave.

"Nani? Are you two from here? Didn't you get the order from the Godaime?" The little boy piped up, the apparent crush on the redhead leaving him.

"Ah…no. We're visitors from another village…" Naruto interjected.

The boy didn't miss the hitai-ate (whom Naruto carelessly covered with the scarf) and the symbol of Hidden Sound on it. Not to mention the ragtag hitai-ate that was wrapped on his shoulder. He looked balefully at the two before backing away…slowly.

"Anou…everyone from the Academy, and every person below the age of twenty, is supposed to assemble at the center of the village. Godaime wants to share something…" He bowed carelessly and ran back to the company of children, immediately spreading what he saw.

"Shall we? I'm curious…" Gaara let out a smirk, lugging the box before him.

"Fine, then. But after this, we leave. We have to reach the mountains before sunrise." Naruto nodded, and headed for the direction of the village square, still massaging his temples.

He felt like something was eating his memories out.

* * *

The whole assembly of kids was a noisy one.

Streetlights were propped up for that one night. The whole population of children and teenagers sat at the tatami mats laid out for the occasion. Jounins and some few guards patrolled the area, complying with the requests of a few for some refreshments or company towards the 'facilities'. A few midnight stalls of food, mostly takoyaki and okonomiyaki (1), were found at the corners, others of baked sweet potato and fried dumplings and chips.

At the center stage, was a white screen, and before it, a huge bonfire was built.

The Godaime emerged from the Hokage's building, carrying a thick, fat book. Nara Shikamaru slowly appeared behind her, his face somewhat serious and at the same time, lax.

"Just like we practiced…ok, Shikamaru-kun?" The Hokage whispered to the otherwise, indifferent boy. The other just nodded and took his place between the bonfire and the white screen.

Naruto and Gaara (still in their Henge no Jutsu) settled by a tree near the square, just enough to see and hear but not be noticed so much.

In a rooftop nearby, a pair of eyes narrowed at both of them.

* * *

"Dear genins and chuunins alike, this night is a special night…" The Godaime's voice rang loud and true amongst the youngsters. Everyone immediately hushed down.

"This night…I will tell you of a story seldom heard here in the village of Hidden Leaf…a story passed on so roughly that many of its parts are lost…" She spoke, placing the heavy book on her lap as she sat down.

She presented her hands to the chuunin near the bonfire. Shikamaru nodded, sat down, and performed a complicated seal. His shadow, as if by illusion, became a dark, flat region on the white screen. A few whispered in awe, while some continued to gaze.

"This story happened on the tenth month of the year, in the time when two Hokages lived in the village of Hidden Leaf…"

As if by words alone, the shadows from the boy began to form shapes of what the woman was saying…

* * *

_It was the days of darkness, when the demon fox ravaged across the village…_

_Killing families…_

_Destroying homes…_

_Separating people from their loved ones…_

_Many a brave nin tried to calm the demon, tried to kill it, tried to stop it. _

_To stop death from flowing all around…_

_To stop pain from becoming too unbearable…_

_Sadly, they too, joined the ranks of the perished. Their efforts were in vain, for the demon knew neither of fatigue nor rest. It gained strength from each life that it took._

_Until the Fourth Hokage faced it._

_He had the strength to match the beast…the power to bear the demon's. They fought hard and long and rough…such was the battle that few were a witness too._

_But the Yondaime was mortal…and mortal as he is…he has his limitations. The demon knows not of limitations and the Yondaime knew it. He had one choice but to use the Evil Sealing Technique._

_It was a double-edged technique, which successfully sealed the demon into a baby boy's stomach. The Yondaime, however, paid death with his own life to fulfill the bargain of the seal._

_

* * *

_

"Tsunade-san!" A little voice erupted from the front. A lot of hushes came from his companion, but he was undeterred nevertheless.

"Yes, what is it?" She entertained the boy.

"What does the Yondaime look like?"

The Godaime shook her head, as if in amusement. "He's quite handsome I can tell you, and very young, possibly the youngest person to become a Hokage. A noble face, and gentle eyes…sunshine hair and a warm voice…he was a man of opportunities and capabilities…a very great man…"

The boy nodded, and sat down. A few of the children spoke in hushed tones. The Godaime only continued the story, feeling that familiar lump in the throat.

_

* * *

_

_The baby boy, to whom the demon fox was sealed, lived and grew up. _

_He was strong, accepting a responsibility he did not have any idea at the moment of his birth. He lived, and grew up…without any parents at all. He was an orphan…_

_

* * *

_

By then, even the grown-ups had joined their children in the village square, only staying either at the back or at the sides.

_

* * *

_

_Why do you say why he was the one chosen to be the vessel of the demon fox? And why an orphan above all?_

_It just so happened that the boy was no other than the Yondaime's son…_

_Yes, the Yondaime loved the village so much…he felt the responsibility of the demon should go to his family. As the father sealed the demon, so shall the son keep it imprisoned._

_The boy grew up without a family, as the Yondaime is now dead. No one acknowledged his great lineage and people had cast him out as an evil omen…a jinx._

_They see him as the fault why their kind Yondaime died._

_They did not see that it was a boy, and not the demon, that they were talking to._

_Do they not understand the greater pain the boy might have known?_

_If he knew that the thing that killed the only person he was related to was living inside him?_

_If he knew that the person who loved him so much was the same person that had given him a curse to live his whole life?_

_Yes, it might have been an evil coincidence, but the boy did not know that his father was the Yondaime. He lived his whole thinking that he was nothing more but the jinx people thought he was._

_But he was his father's son._

_That boy loved the village just as much as his father did. He did not leave despite the cruelties he suffered for the past sixteen years of his life in Konoha. He lived, he grew, he did not depend on anyone but himself._

_He wanted to be strong for the village he so loved._

_

* * *

_

"Is that boy here today, Godaime-sama?" A girl voiced out.

Tsunade gazed lovingly at the blonde girl, her hair reminding him of that boy.

"Sadly, he is not. If he were so, he would have been surprised at this revelation I am telling all of you…this is not a mere story but the whole truth of Hidden Leaf's history…"

* * *

_Do you know how it feels to have a demon inside you? _

_Do you know the pains of claws breaking you from the inside, trying to be free from a body it is not his?_

_Do you know the pains of being burned and not to be able to do anything to stop it, but wait until your blood quenches it?_

_Do you know of pain coming both from people you protect, and from the thing you are protecting the people from?_

_That is the pain the boy experienced almost everyday of his life!_

_He bore each day bravely, gritting his teeth and willing the pain away._

_He tried to hide his daily sacrifice, making a mask for himself. A mask that grins and smiles foolishly, a deceptive mask indeed._

_A mask that is an exact opposite of the face it is hiding…_

_

* * *

_

The Godaime turned the next page.

* * *

_He lived in a world of lies._

_Where he made himself think that there was no pain whenever he felt it._

_Where he made himself trust that there was love whenever he felt lonely._

_Where he made himself smile when deep inside he was crying._

_Until he believed those lies, and they became his truths._

_And with that knowledge, and what little piece of sanity he has, he survived in this world…_

_

* * *

_

_But he was his father's son._

_And he dreamed of being a Hokage._

_Not knowing that he would be following the footsteps of his own father._

_So, he became a genin and tried to learn everything about becoming a ninja._

_To become strong and protect everyone! That was what he would say…_

_And he would still say those things when asked why he wanted to be a Hokage…_

_For the next four years of his stay…_

_

* * *

_

"Who is this boy, Godaime?" An older gennin spoke up.

The Godaime stopped for a while, a smile on her face, before continuing.

* * *

_He did great things, was capable of even greater things._

_He learned jutsus well enough beyond his age, and grew adept to them. He knew not that his lineage holds a hidden bloodline limit, but who was he to know that? He did not know his father._

_He was even able to convince an old woman like the Fifth Hokage to take the position when the Sandaime passed away._

_He was loved by his friends._

_Scorned by his enemies._

_And still stayed true and naïve to the ways of the world._

_But one day, something went wrong…_

_His mask…the faithful mask that kept him smiling…shattered…_

_

* * *

_

"Who is this boy, Godaime-sama?" Another older gennin piped up. The children and some others began looking at one another. The older villagers, however, looked uneasy.

She smiled that same mysterious smile as before and continued.

* * *

_He broke his heart on a boy he secretly admired so much… _

_A boy he was willing to die for…a boy who was also his best friend and greatest rival…_

_A boy who had his feelings…_

_Unwillingly rejected, he tried in vain to fix his mask. To tell himself the same lies that kept him artificially whole._

_The truth however, was more than enough to send him stumbling back into reality._

_

* * *

_

_This boy had become his bastion of safety._

_He had become a source of strength for him, a sanctuary from the abuses of the other villagers._

_A piece of his heaven from the hell that he loved that is Hidden Leaf._

_And now…this boy had left him._

_

* * *

_

"Who is this boy? Godaime! We want to know! We want to give him comfort!" A few asked, tears in their eyes.

"…we want to console him!"

"…we want to share our time with him!"

"…we want to know him better!"

"He deserves a place in this village!" The audience became rowdy.

The Godaime silently closed the large book, without a smile or a frown in her face. She just spoke softly…

* * *

…_did you not see?_

_This boy had left us a few days ago._

_Only one boy in this village has the demon fox inside him._

_Only one boy in this village that the villagers hate so much._

_He who possesses the sunshine hair of the Yondaime, who has his sky-filled eyes, his compassionate heart and love for the people. _

_He spoke to each one of you, asking for your forgiveness at a fault he did not commit._

_He asked pardon to the ones abusing him and the ones who made faults towards him._

_DO YOU STILL NOT KNOW?_

_

* * *

_

The whole host became silent, some with mouths ajar, while others having realization dawn on their face. Silent tears poured from some of them.

* * *

The Yondaime's name…

_is Arashii…_

_Uzumaki…_

_as such his child and only son is no other than…_

_Uzumaki Naruto…_

_Who only wanted no more than freedom from oppression he can no longer take._

_He finally flew into some place I can hope he would be still alive…_

_Because…I don't know…_

_If this is how Hidden Leaf treats their heroes' sons…_

_Then Uzumaki Naruto would have been indeed insane on staying here for sixteen years._

_Then Uzumaki Arashii, the Yondaime himself, would have harbored traitors and enemies for his son that he will never see growing up._

_Then I would have been crazy myself, why I even allowed that boy to goad me into becoming the Hokage of this forsaken village!_

* * *

The Godaime stood up, tears falling uncontrollably from her eyes. Each and everyone glanced at her with the same mournful look.

"Good night…each and everyone. This story has ended when Naruto left…."

"I just wish…I could've told this story much sooner…but reasons prevented me from doing so…"

"Sleep tight, and rest well, each and everyone. Know that your nightmare is long past gone…"

The Godaime left, carrying the book beneath her shoulders.

* * *

Everyone was crying.

Most of them were remorseful, not a single soul was left without a tear in the eye.

Except possibly the blonde that impassively stared at the sight before him, of people, sorrowful with their actions.

Gaara was sniffing his nose, just having dried his tears. He shifted his glance at the blonde that just started to walk towards the entrance gates.

The blonde's words only surprised him, as somehow, for a few minutes, he stood silent, stunned at the boy.

"Poor kid…he's probably dead now…"

* * *

Iruka and Kakashi were confronting the Godaime as of the moment, the woman stunned at the reports each one gave her.

"…it was Naruto. I'm sure! He decimated at least a hundred shinobi with Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu…but why is he with Hidden Sound?"

"…Naruto and Gaara of the Desert. Both of them are here, disguised by Henge no Jutsu. My Sharingan confirmed it…"

* * *

REVISED CHAPTER!

1. naruto – this is actually what you call to those pink-swirled fishcakes placed in ramen. Doesn't it come as a surprise that everybody's favorite ninja is named after a foodstuff/

Yes, it was Iruka who was the spy in Hidden Sound. No, I'm not sure if Arashii's last name is Kazami, Kazama or Uzumaki. I do understand however, that Konoha gives orphans or people without any family name, the surname Uzumaki. It's not confirmed whether Naruto is really the Fourth's son, or even if he is the Fourth himself. The hair and eyes scream their relationship! Damnit! Tell me that a banana comes from an apple tree and I'll tell you that Naruto is in no way, related to the Fourth Hokage.


	15. Turning Your Back

Omake' stuff: Yay! I'm glad people still liked that chappie. I was really stressed out (been busy with school enrollments, clearance signing and stuff) I haven't had time to continue writing. But here is the chapter update for those who have been patiently waiting for it. Kisses to those loyal readers!

And for those loyal readers, here's a newly reconstructed version of Kitsune Mask! I gave away kisses, now I'm giving hugs!

-

Chapter 15: Turning Your Back

-

_(earlier that day)_

Sasuke had just hurriedly taken off from Kakashi and Sakura after their mission that day. He knew that Kakashi would suddenly change into his I-am-the-father-of-this-team-and-I-demand-to-know-if-you-are-all-right routine, and Sakura would start asking apologies to him again for what happened to Naruto.

"Well, they should feel sorry for what we did…" Sasuke would then berate himself afterwards.

He couldn't place the blame on all of them, Sasuke knew that. Part of why Naruto left was because it had everything to do with _Sasuke._ If it were just a joke that the others would have played upon the blonde, the dobe wouldn't have given a damn about it and just laughed it through the night.

He never forgot the look on Naruto's face that night. The disbelief…the horror…the trepidation and denial evident on his face. Sasuke hadn't remembered any period in his life at all seeing the blonde look that way.

_

* * *

_

"_Sa…Sasuke?"_

"_No…"_

"_NO! Don't! Don't ask me!"_

_

* * *

_

The brunette had decided to sleep the afternoon in.

He received the order of the meeting in the village square from Tsunade herself, the Godaime thought to give it more personally, as it dealt with Naruto and his past.

He gloomily shrugged at the memory, opening the door to his house, quiet and lonely.

Stripping off his clothes and dumping it into a nearby basket, he wrapped a towel on his waist and slowly filled the tub on his bathroom, his thoughts adrift.

* * *

"Ahh…" The brunette breathed a sigh out as he lowered himself into the steaming water.

His body had been sore from the last mission they had. It was just a two-man team they had right now, him and Sakura. Something to do with weeding the garden of the Fire Country Lord's Wife. Turned out that the 'garden' would be a damned forest.

Even though Kakashi-sensei helped a bit (if you called cutting a few blades of grasses with a scythe on one hand while holding Icha Icha Paradaisu on the other), the brunette knew why he was really tired.

They have had tougher, longer, harder missions than this, and none of those Sasuke could complain. If that or anything else, he even felt invigorated after every mission. It felt as if he was hyperactive, full on energy enough to rival the sun's.

Of course, on those missions, he had the blonde dobe.

So, on the nights when their missions would end, the blonde would invite him for a spar or two on some open field or vacant lot. Sasuke found no reason to complain or shoot down the offer; he wanted something to spend his energy on.

He know knew the reason to every little thing happening around him.

Like when they would spar, he would see the slight hesitation on the blonde's assaults that would prove a disadvantage for Naruto. Just on the moment, the boy would shake up from his concentration and just 'miss' punching the brunette's face by a few inches, or how come the blonde would just shoot kunais at his feet when Sasuke was trying hard to target the boy's arm with his own knives.

Like when after that little fighting match they'd do, when he'd offer the blonde to take his shower at the Uchiha's residence, Naruto literally blushed and made silly excuses like 'it's too rich for me' or 'I don't have an extra with me'. The brunette would have to tease him about his masculinity just to get him to comply with his orders.

Or maybe when they'd have their missions, the blonde wouldn't pass the chance to at least irritate the Uchiha, one way or another. Naruto once said to him that he thoroughly enjoyed how Sasuke's face would turn from placid to irritated to consternated to just annoyed and finally indifference.

Or maybe those times when he would feel the lingering stares the blonde threw at him when he thought Sasuke wasn't looking.

Or maybe the sighs he would hear once in a while, and when confronted of it, Naruto would just stare at him hesitatingly and turn his back at him, mumbling his excuses and apology.

It was there all along.

Every action spoke of a desire unspoken.

The brunette decided to just stop thinking about everything and closed his eyes, overwhelming himself with the silence of his house.

* * *

"_Sasuke…"_

The brunette opened his eyes.

_Where am I? What is this dark place? Who called me?_

"Who's there!"

"_Sasuke…"_

A glimmer…

"_Sasuke…"_

That voice…

"_Sasuke…"_

The voice pleaded this time…

"Naruto? Is that you!" The blonde fully opened his eyes, realizing that he was standing in a very dark place.

"_Ah…aaah…"_ He could here the voice struggle, as if something was strangling it.

"Naruto!" Sasuke looked around, finding his heart beat fast after a long time.

A sliver of light fell in front of him, and it slowly widened.

And what it revealed made the Uchiha's eyes widen.

* * *

"Naruto…" The brunette slowly walked towards the light.

The blonde was as if floating on the air, not an inch of clothing on his now pale skin. A very large, black snake entwined itself in the blonde's body, going from his legs, between his thighs, around his chest, beneath his arms and encircling his neck. The snake's eyes glinted evilly at the brunette, its fangs embedded in Naruto's shoulder.

"Naruto…" Sasuke moved closer, as if mesmerized, his hand reaching out to touch and feel the pallid skin of the blonde. His finger fell on the side of Naruto's stomach.

"_Aaaah…"_ The blonde cried suddenly, tears falling in an instant.

"What? What's wrong?" Sasuke immediately took his hand away, afraid to linger any longer.

"_It hurts…it hurts so bad…"_ Naruto coughed, blood flowing suddenly from his shoulders.

Sasuke glanced at the snake nervously, the blonde's blood flowing from where its fangs made contact. In a few while, milky white oozed with the red as well.

"_Aaaah…nhhhn…"_ The blonde moaned, his face scrunched up in pain at the feel of venom flowing on his skin.

Sasuke's disbelief was apparent, not knowing what to do to help the blonde for the first time in his life. He was just inches away and not a clue as how to alleviate the blonde's predicament.

"_It hurts…Sasuke…make it stop…please…"_ Naruto looked at the brunette below him, his eyes filled with tears.

"How! Tell me how, Naruto!" Sasuke was now shouting, out of anger not towards the blonde but to himself…of his incapability to help the blonde in his need.

"_I…_"

"_I…_"

"_I…don't know…but please…make this pain go away…"_ Naruto's head fell limp, his body suddenly void of any action. For a moment, Sasuke's fear of the blonde's death waived in his thoughts…

_-drip-_

…a gentle laugher….

The brunette looked around, surprised to hear that laugh.

It was Naruto's.

_-drip-_

He heard another drop of liquid fall…the silence amplifying the sound.

Naruto's gentle laughs and snickers passed that area.

_-drip-_

Another drop fell…

Naruto's voice whispered in the darkness, familiar lines of 'Sasuke-kun', 'Sakura-chan' and 'Tsunade-baa-chan' being heard quite a bit, before quieting down.

_-drip, drip, drip-_

The dripping sound became continuous…

And Sasuke found out where it was coming from.

* * *

Naruto's blood, mingling with the milky venom, collected on the floor beneath the blonde's feet. Sasuke looked at it in aghast, but found it hard to tear his eyes from the sight.

In the puddle of blood, was the memory of Naruto Uzumaki that he knew.

The one smiling foolishly, sharing a joke or two with his teammates.

The moments he spent at Ichiraku's, eating and savoring every strand of ramen he had eaten.

Running away at the irritated Godaime, who found herself enjoying at the small game of tag with the hyperactive blonde.

All of it…

…dripping at his feet…

Sasuke stared up at the blonde above him, a look of terror spreading on his face.

Naruto wasn't crying anymore, nor did he show any sign of pain.

He was smiling…nay, laughing!

Snickering evilly, his eyes wide with insanity, his thoughts afar. His arms and legs, and his head convulsing once in a while to show his body did not agree with the new mind.

A mind void of memories dripping on the cold, dark floor.

"…_ha…Ha HA Ha Hah HAH! This feels much better!"_ The blonde slurred, as if drunk with a new sensation.

Sasuke's eyes flew to the snake at the blonde's shoulders, one eye was red…the other indigo.

And on the blonde, his right eye…red, while his left indigo.

Sasuke's thoughts left the scene, of the blonde laughing…of the blood and poison flowing steadily on the floor…of the snake's and Naruto's strange eyes…everything was starting to fade…except one thing that whispered in his ear…

…_if there is one thing I am afraid, Sasuke-kun…it's to forget everything I loved…_

…beyond the darkness, behind the blonde and the snake…was a pair of glowing red eyes, glinting in silence…

* * *

Sasuke woke up, his eyes searching the room for anything at all weird.

"What a strange dream…" He whispered.

The steam still wafted from the warm water, his bathrobe hung at the side. He could here his breathing, echoing in the walls of the bathroom. The crickets outside sang their ritual songs, the stars had cast a soft glow on his window.

He heard the rushing of men and children outside, Sasuke's thoughts concentrating at the order of the Godaime.

It took him a full straight one-hour whether to go or not, a short debate on his head took place. But a clear-cut victor came out…

Abandoning all thoughts of going straight and burying himself in his futon, he got out of the tub, dressed in his clothes and walked the distance to the square, his hands in his pockets.

* * *

"Poor kid…he's probably dead now…"

Sasuke's attention was diverted to a tall blonde, almost a bit older than the age of Kakashi's. He was dressed in a dark cloak, but Sasuke could tell the muscular demeanor the blonde hid beneath his clothing. His eyes almost narrowed at the instant he saw the Sound hitai-ate on the blonde's neck.

He noted the redheaded female that stared slack-face upon the blonde at what he said. Apparently, she must have been stunned at what the blonde Sound nin had said.

Like Sasuke cared anyway.

Their paths met.

Sasuke was face to face with the blonde nin and his female companion, his eyes clashing with the indigo above him.

Indigo…

Sasuke remembered his dream earlier…but somehow he didn't connect it with the blonde before him.

Snorting his disgust, he deliberately bumped his elbow on the blonde's side. The blonde only glared at him in a dirty way before proceeding nearer the entrance gate, not wanting to start a fight in hostile territory.

Sasuke passed by the redhead as well, not minding her much even as she stared at him like Sasuke had grown an extra head. She immediately ran and took her place at the blonde's side, hiding a bit.

The blonde and his companion were a few good meters away from the gate when Sasuke's eyes shook up.

"That gourd…" Sasuke remembered.

It was a familiar gourd, no one in the entire Fire Country had a gourd like that, as far as Sasuke's photographic memory was concerned. Only one nin carried it, and that nin Sasuke knew.

His eyes dawned on realization.

That red hair…

That gourd…

The familiar chakra…

It was that damned Sand nin once…Gaara of the Desert!

"What the…why is Sand and Sound in this village once more? Are they here as spies?" Sasuke mulled the idea, hesitant whether to rush to the Hokage's office and inform the jounins or go after Gaara and the other guy alone…

He didn't need second thought as he immediately sped towards the East Gate…

* * *

Just behind him, the light-haired jounin observed the scene, running with less speed than Sasuke. It took a minute before Kakashi was beside the running genin, who suddenly stopped at the sight of his instructor.

A few words passed from Kakashi, stunning the Uchiha in place.

"Naruto…is…here?" He murmured, unbelieving.

And without thought, he turned his heels forwards and dashed towards the Main Gate much faster than before. Kakashi swiftly followed, never letting his student out of sight.

* * *

Squee! Sorry for making the characters a bit stupid (the obvious was hitting them straight in their faces) but I had to do it just for the fun.

Take note of each details in the chapter guys, especially Sasuke's premonitions! A lot of things will revolve around those.

RECONSTRUCTED CHAPTER!


	16. Dead Nin v12

Omake' stuff: This chapter has been revised. Please check Chapter 22 for changes.

-

Chapter 16: Dead Nin

-

"Naruto…"

The wind whistled behind his ears…

"Naruto…"

His hair flew mad in every direction…

"Naruto…"

Sasuke's eyes filled itself with tears.

The brunette wasn't even thinking anymore, it was instinct carrying him on his feet. He didn't care why the blonde was hiding on a jutsu; he didn't care why he was wearing Hidden Sound's hitai-ate at all, or why his eyes were a bit indigo.

He just wanted to see the blonde dobe once again.

Never realizing how his emotions betrayed him.

Destroying his image of the aloof, impassive and disinterested Uchiha.

He was now, the impulsive, passionate and excited Sasuke.

The person he knew the blonde always saw in Sasuke.

Not as an Uchiha, but as Sasuke.

"You always recognized me…why didn't I recognize you?" he whispered in the wind, his tears flying by.

* * *

Gaara and Naruto were a good distance from the gates. The redhead had given up his Henge no Jutsu, but Naruto decidedly opted to keep his own. Gaara did nothing but to just keep quiet for a while.

Talking was never really much his forte, which was how much he knew.

And so they kept walking the distance in dismal silence for a few minutes.

Knowing that Gaara was abnormally quiet for the past few moments, Naruto carefully peered towards the somber redhead.

"You've been quiet…" Naruto murmured softly, his voice still deep from the effects of the jutsu. Gaara hesitantly gazed at the affectionate indigo eyes before looking away.

The statement was rather delivered in a singsong tone, more of a question rather than a note.

"You're uncomfortable. I didn't want to make you feel more than you were already…"

"You'd think that talking to me makes me uncomfortable?" Naruto cocked a golden eyebrow.

"Of course not…but talking **about** you…it does make you feel less at ease, doesn't it?" Gaara spoke.

"Funny…I don't think so…what made you say that?"

Gaara stopped walking, signaling Naruto to halt and face the redhead.

"Tell me, Naruto. Tell me the truth. How far in your life do you remember? Do you even remember how we first met?" Gaara asked, wanting to know for himself the extent of Orochimaru's purge of Naruto's memories.

"I remember you, Gaara. We had a fight…you turning into a sand demon and me somehow defeating you in a funny sort of way…but…"Naruto closed his eyes, his brows nit in concentration. "…everything around me is a blur. People…faces…places…everything's a blur…I can't seem to get it…everything around you is nothing but a worthless shade of colors…"

"Things only started to get clear around the night I…" Naruto blushed at the memory."…I…uh…woke up from Otokage-sama's bed…"

Gaara would have almost dropped the box at hand upon hearing those words.

Naruto immediately countered his earlier statements.

"Now wait, don't give me that look. Otokage-sama didn't rape me if that was what you were thinking…" Naruto saw the redhead's eyebrow shoot higher.

"Oh, well then, what exactly were you doing in his bed?" Gaara's voice dropped to an all time low, more like looking down into a deep abyss. A very deep and wide _abyss._ Naruto smirked inwardly at the tone. _Oooh, now what was that?_

"Of course, rape means a person wasn't willing to do it. You wouldn't call it 'rape' in my case now, would it? It was really fun that night, he was kissing me and touching me…god that was the most wonderful sensation I ever felt…" Naruto was enjoying himself, as the redhead grew much redder than his hair at the excruciating details that he shared.

"It was weird though …I kept thinking that it was you doing it…" He murmured audibly, a cross between seduction and daring. Naruto was close to snickering as he felt the heat radiating from the Sand nin, owing to the fact he was meters away from him.

He just laughed heartedly, as Gaara threw his gourd at Naruto and bounced off quite soundly off of his head.

* * *

"Na, Gaara-kun…" Naruto was rubbing the lump on his scalp. "…I was just trying to cheer you up…" He said, a snicker betraying the sincerity he tried to show.

"Cheer me up? You were the only one enjoying that whole time…" Gaara pouted, earning a noogie from the blonde.

Naruto just smiled, and Gaara, fond of that face, gently smiled back.

Trust the blonde to always make him happy in most unexpected ways.

* * *

"Someone's coming…" Naruto's gentle demeanor immediately disappeared to be replaced by seriousness. His ears perked up at the sound running. Gaara immediately did Henge no Jutsu, turning back into the girl he used as a disguise.

"Wait…"

Gaara looked back, as the sounds of running feet disappeared. The trees gently shook in the wind…or maybe something else. _Did they jump up in the trees?_

"How many?" Gaara whispered, as both continued walking, as if not knowing they were being watched.

"About ten or so…" Naruto's eyes shifted left and right, his sights picking up on the flash of a hitai-ate glistening in the starlight.

"And two more arriving behind us…" Gaara spoke softly, his ears picking up the sound.

A man in a fox mask suddenly appeared before them, stopping any further movement from Naruto and Gaara. The blonde man and female redhead glanced at him cautiously.

"You…" He pointed at the blonde. "…by the order of the Hokage, you must come with us."

"In what business do I owe the Kage of Hidden Leaf? I have more pressing matters to do for Hidden Sound as of the moment…" Naruto spoke civilly, though a hint of threatening in his voice.

The masked man just crossed his arms over his chest. "Hidden Sound? Don't hide behind that jutsu, Uzumaki Naruto! You are a marked nin! Resist and we will bring you back in a wooden box bearing your name!"

"How dare you intimidate me with threats of no basis…"

"That is no threat, this is what happens to those who fall targets to ANBU. Now, come with us peacefully, or else suffer grievous wounds for your audacity to resist capture."

Naruto's sensitive hearing caught on the rustling of kunais in their holsters. He immediately picked up the position of the nine hiding Nins in the trees and bushes nearby.

The blonde dropped his jutsu, returning to his former height and appearance. He turned to Gaara, who did the same, and questioned him.

"Would you care for a blood fest tonight, Gaara-kun?" Naruto licked his lips, a hint of bestial indulgence in his voice.

"I'll indulge you for this night, Naruto. I must admit even Shukaku presses me to do so…" Gaara smiled softly, his glance turning towards the nin before them.

Naruto draw four kunais on each hand and braced himself, while Gaara nimbly placed the delivery box down, content in the sound of the sand rumbling inside his gourd.

Shadows started jumping from one tree to another, the man before them disappearing in a blink of an eye.

Naruto and Gaara decided to do the same, the blonde jumping into the air while Gaara rushed towards the riverbank nearby.

* * *

Two nins immediately assaulted the blonde in mid-air.

The two ANBU members simultaneously threw shurikens at an effective rate at the blonde. Naruto had a critical chance of getting hit, as each shuriken seemed to be splitting into two and returning back at him.

"Kuso…" The blonde gritted, a shuriken grazed him on his left arm. He nimbly threw his kunais at hand to the two nins, but were effectively lost in the flurry of shurikens that assaulted the blonde.

His consternation turned into quick delight as an idea came upon him. He halted in midair and stilled his arms at each side. His hands grasped at the air around him, as if holding linen. The winds rushed around him, shurikens that were encircling him began to lose power and fall to the ground one by one. He fell shortly to the ground, dust flying everywhere at the force of chakra emitted by his hands.

"Odama Rasengan!" (Great Ball Spiraling Sphere!)

Naruto immediately molded the air in both of his hands creating a large Rasengan orb. Three nins appeared above him, dropping a large net with kunais woven into it (1). Naruto just looked upwards, bringing the orb up and shooting at it sky-high. The net was tossed asunder inside the swirling orb of wind and chakra, the kunais in the net, dislodged, flying in each direction. A few caught one of the nins, who deftly tried to dodge but failed miserably. The kunais embedded into him like pins in a pincushion.

Below them, Naruto swirled around in a drunken-sort of state. His hands moved gracefully, chakra laced in his fingers. In his eyes were pleasure, and in his lips was a smile of sated hunger. It looked as if he was weaving threads of red chakra and releasing it into the air around him.

He was turning round and round much faster, movements becoming more and more complex. Threads of red-blue chakra flew from all directions, up in the sky, into the trees, dissolving into the ground, passing through four of the nins who were still in mid-air.

By then, that part of the area glowed with an ethereal net consisting of the chakra from the blonde. The nins, shaking out of their stupor, charged for the blonde, kunais and katanas at hand.

An evil grin passed by Naruto's lips…

Immediately, a shell of red chakra encircled the blonde, who stopped swirling. He just stared up at the nins rushing towards him.

"Fools!" Naruto roared, eyes transforming from violet to red in an instant. His fangs surreptiously lengthened in an instant, and his whisker scars had visibly darkened.

"Kaiin Jutsu: Shimon no Ryu no Juku!" (Unseal Technique: Death Gates of the Dragon of Ten Heavens!)

(This kinjutsu requires a great amount of chakra to be sacrificed, never the less, it calls on the great Death Gate, Shimon, that binds the power of the Dragon of the Ten Heavens below the user. Temporarily releasing the binding upon the mythical dragon, the user can manipulate the energy released (in the form of a many-headed dragon) to summon winds that spiral around the said heads, winds that are fast enough to even cut through steel and flesh. The gate can only be unsealed for five seconds (or shorter if the chakra sacrificed cannot reach the required quota), and at the end of the period, suppresses the dragon once more, "killing" the heads and forming the recognizable 'uzumaki' (spiral) seal on a wide radius around the user. The seal represents 'unmei' or 'fate' as it marks the destiny of all things mortal.)

The threads of chakra that was just floating a while ago immediately linked with other threads, creating a series of chakra dragonheads. The chakra-dragons flailed in all directions for at least a few seconds, the winds whistling in the area. They then fell down in a direction each 45 degrees from the other, creating a deep impression before disappearing completely. From above, it looked like an imprint of a primitive drawing of a circle with lines swirling towards it in a spiral direction, the blonde at the center of it.

ANBU members fell down, blood showering like mist in the air. Each one had slashes and cuts in every part of their body. Some had lost a limb, others a leg.

It was a gruesome sight as the area around the blonde was leveled: not a tree was left standing, rock outcrops were sliced cleanly at their bases, ANBU members were coughing up blood, moaning in pain, blood flowing from different parts of their bodies.

Naruto felt something wet on his cheek, and contemptuously knowing what it is, brought his finger into it and stuck it in his mouth.

"Simple joys of life…" He mused, the scent of blood in the air.

His eyes caught movement at a tree stump nearby; the ANBU captain sat in a stump, his head cast down, and blood draining out of him slowly.

"You…" He coughed, blood flowing from his lips."...what was that…"

Naruto came close, reveling in the sight of crimson before him." Not that simple, I assure you. It was a modification of the principle of Rasengan. Using chakra to effectively gather high-speed wind, I can send waves of air to cut anything that comes across them. Highly inaccurate, and uses a big amount of chakra, but nevertheless deadly and can decimate an entire army. " He glanced at him contemptuously.

Naruto enjoyed the shock on the man's façade.

"You…you used the chakra of the demon fox…" He spat some more.

"Au contraire, there is no more chakra of the demon fox's than there is mine…I assure you however, that it was not chakra that made those cuts on your body, nothing but the wind." Naruto held the man's face up, their eyes meeting.

"It would be a fool of me to use chakra in the rawest form to deal this much damage. Techniques like the Chidori and Rasengan are familiar to me, and those require the greatest stamina and energy to perform and maintain. Why waste chakra on people like you, when I can just use air to my advantage?" He smirked at the man's reaction.

"You're just a genin…how can you be capable of doing these things…" He wheezed, difficult in breathing.

Naruto's smile faded, only to be replaced by a look of disgust.

"Never underestimate your enemy, just as you did with the wind. Willing and pliant, it can turn deadly upon a single whim of a person with control. Your ANBU ranks mean nothing in a battle…or in this case…slaughter…Even a Kage dies by the hand of his student…"

He dropped the man's chin, slowly walking away.

"Besides, lessons can be learned through a mere shift of memories…(0)" He tapped his head, and laced Hidden Sound's hitai-ate back on his forehead.

He let the man's head fall from his hands.

* * *

Naruto had little time to respond.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!)

An imminent source of heat made Naruto turn to his back.

"What the…" Naruto turned around, just in time to deflect a large fireball aimed towards him. He knocked the ball with his right arm, earning a minor burn from the surprise.

A dark-haired boy appeared his eyes between disbelief and anger.

"Katon: Karyu Endan!" (Fire Release: Fire Dragon Flame Bullet!)

He threw a fire dragon from his mouth this time, aiming for Naruto.

"Doton: Doroku Gaeshi!" (Earth Release: Earth Shore Return!)

The blonde, much more prepared, fell to his knees, ducked and slammed the earth, creating a wall of earth that effectively blocked the fire.

Naruto stood up from his position, surprised to find the brunette behind him, a kunai in the back of his neck. Not turning back, he carefully spoke.

"To whom do I owe the pleasure of being the first person to get this near to me?" Naruto wistfully spoke, pocketing his hands into his pants.

"What the fuck, dobe! How and why the hell did you do this to the ANBU!" Sasuke demanded, his knife somewhat quivering slightly in anger.

"Dobe? Dead last? Can you not give me more credit than that? I effectively incapacitated their ability to fight…" Naruto moved his head, cracking his neck for effect.

"That doesn't answer me usuratonkachi! Tell me how and why!" Sasuke shouted, his knife tip digging into Naruto's neck. He could feel the blonde smiling at him.

"What are you saying?" Naruto gently laughed, turning towards Sasuke. "They threatened to hurt me, so I had to defend myself of course." He said in a snide tone.

Naruto's violet eyes lingered longer on Sasuke.

Sasuke's eyes widened, his dream earlier hitting him with a two-ton hammer.

"Indigo eyes…"

His kunai fell, cluttering quite soundly on the forest floor. Naruto saw the opportunity and lunged for Sasuke's neck, immediately tightening his grasp.

What…the…

"Let…go…" Sasuke whispered, finding his ability to speak being impeded. He can't fight back, no, he just can't! This is Naruto! He has to be! Those eyes! The dream!

Sasuke fell on his ass almost instantly; Naruto's face cringed in pain at the apparent sensation jolting up from his left arm. The blonde fell on him, panting and wheezing as the sensation let go. Why had he suddenly let go of this guy in front of him?

"You…could you be…Uchiha…Sasuke?" Naruto opened one of his eyes, looking into the dark orbs of the boy below him. Pain was still shooting up his left arm, his left eye shut in response.

"You asshole…get off me!" Sasuke grunted.

The blonde immediately removed himself on top of the boy, body following orders as if by instinct. His eyes peered curiously at the Uchiha.

_I…I…can't seem to disobey his orders…nor hurt him…has this something to do with the jutsu?_

Sasuke found himself turning red at the sight of the blonde circling him, almost as if smelling him. His eyes were running up and down the brunette's body just like he was checking him out.

Naruto came close to the Uchiha's face, his eyes peering into Sasuke's own.

The tension was thick in the air.

Without any thought, Naruto kissed Sasuke in the lips, shocking and taking the brunette by surprise.

_What…the…hell… _

The blonde's tongue gently prodded the Uchiha's, hesitant at first before finally wrestling with Naruto's. Sasuke almost forgot the shock at the sensation of the blonde dobe kissing him…

A few moments passed before Naruto finally parted their lips, a glazed look in his eyes.

"You really are Sasuke…how pleasurable…not a wonder why…(2)" He grinned, finding the blushing Uchiha a wonderful sight.

He heard another footstep running in a fast rate towards him, he had to hurry lest he be delayed more and more in his journey.

Kneeling before the surprised Uchiha, Naruto took the boy's hand and serenely kissed it, earning a mild gasp from him.

"Uzumaki Naruto" The blonde introduced himself. Sasuke gave him a weird look, as he massaged his battered neck. The boy stood up afterwards, turning around to the sound that was growing distinct by the second.

"Perhaps we'll meet again much later than you'd expect…" Naruto grinned and before jumping away, threw a flying kiss towards him, making the brunette's cheek twitch. The blonde took it as a compliment and winked.

Naruto instantly disappeared in a few moments, his chakra gone.

* * *

Kakashi arrived just in time to seek help for the ANBU members, who, with one more hour, would have died of blood loss. He managed the medical nins that arrived to carry them back to Hidden Leaf.

His eyes fell on a shadow that still stood in the darkness, behind a wall of earth that still ominously stood.

"Sasuke…" Kakashi called to him, the shadow shook up, turned to him and walked slowly towards the direction of the jounin.

Knowing what happened, Kakashi asked a simple question before sparing the Uchiha for the night…

"You've seen him?"

Sasuke looked up towards him, a confused look in his face. His eyes fell on his hands, lightly touched his lips that still throbbed, and looked at the blood and the people surrounding the area.

"Naruto…was that actually…Naruto?" Sasuke replied, falling into Kakashi's surprised arms as fatigue overtook him.

* * *

Yay! An over-OOC Sasuke! Bah, whatever! Complain all you want! My fic! My rules! –does that weird 'squee' sound-

(0)"Besides, lessons can be learned in a mere shift of memories…"

I remembered once in my psycho class (psychology class! Don't get any weird ideas!) , we had a topic on brainwashing theories. I proposed that if a person, if possible, were to be purged of memories past, he should be given the same quantity of memories to prevent 'mental collapsing'. On what phenomenon mental collapsing was, I had no idea, those words just came out of my mouth. I later proposed (once more) that mental collapsing is the unstable state of the mind due to lack of memories from purging. The effects would be like a sink hole, land above but nothing below it. Everything would just come crashing down.

I assume Orochimaru filled Naruto's head with jutsus Orochimaru learned and researched over the years, just the same quantity as the wonderful memories the boy had been purged from. As to what jutsu Otokage employed…weeeeeeell, I'll explain it in a few more chappies to come, when Itachi-san would make an appearance…-gives out another hint-

(1)There's this anime once, featuring a net woven with kunais and all type of sharp pointy objects in it (or was that a movie?) It was supposed to either paralyze the opponent/s or instantly kill anything that the net captured. All in all, it's very creepy…and fatal.

(2) Glazed look in his eyes? That's because the work of Soul Embrace Jutsu is to transfer the master nin's(Orochimaru's) desires and wants into his victim/host(Naruto). Whenever Naruto touches or has contact with Orochimaru instant pleasure. Same goes for Orochimaru's want of Sasuke. So Naruto plus touch Sasuke equals instant pleasure. Applause for my vague algebra.

Next update prolly in a week, I'm still trying my best to download Naruto episodes. (prays he is successful).


	17. Spiraling Upwards

Omake stuff: This chapter has been revised. Please see Chapter 22 for changes.

Yep, as I can tell you. I completely reconstructed this chapter to remove an OC. Be happy.

-

Chapter 17: Spiraling Upwards

-

"Yo, Gaara-kun!" Naruto cheerfully waved at the redhead.

Gaara casually glanced at Naruto before turning back to inspect his sculptures. Said sculptures moaned as the blonde realized they were ANBU members trapped in Gaara's sand coffins.

"Our meal's are getting cold, I think we should hurry…" Naruto pointed at the delivery box at hand. Gaara carefully nodded, glancing a quick eye at his victims, before turning his back at them. Naruto just grinned a fox smile at him, before both exploded into running.

A few minutes passed before a rushing sound was heard in that area.

The coffins began crumbling one by one, sand running down from the pillars that was the tomb of the ANBU. One by one, the nins emerged from the sand, coughing and wheezing for air.

But, just in case, the sand stuck themselves on their legs, impeding their ability to move. Too weak and injured to move, the nins laid themselves on the sand, and waited for help.

* * *

The warm tea did nothing to calm the troubled brunette.

Sasuke mulled over the tea at hand, a blanket around him. He was sitting inside the Hokage's office, his hands shaky from tension and despair. His thoughts were far away, eyes glazed from thinking.

This was maybe why he hadn't realized the Hokage's entry, not until she personally waved a hand in front of Sasuke's face.

"Sasuke…Sasuke-kun…" Tsunade whispered, afraid to interrupt the brunette's reverie.

* * *

_(Sasuke's thoughts)_

Sasuke was hidden up a tree, ready to try and take Naruto from the ANBU the moment the blonde was captured.

He hadn't expected the blonde to put up a fight, thinking he'd surrender quickly once his cover was blown, once he knew that his jutsu wasn't hiding him anymore.

However, the blonde's defiance was a surprise for Sasuke. Even far away, he saw what was running through the blonde's eyes.

There was anger…

There was threatening…

Battle lust flowed in his eyes with the strength of a waterfall…

Malice tinged every word his mouth spoke…

He was there; ready to aid the dobe when he knew the blonde would need it. But he did not know Naruto did not need him…

_(When you needed me the most, was I there for you?)_

He almost felt panic run through him when Naruto jumped up to confront the ANBU. Sasuke felt a gasp in his breath when a rogue shuriken grazed Naruto's arm.

But different feelings suddenly coursed in him when he saw the way Naruto fought…

How he effectively dispelled the shurikens around him…

How he toyed with the ANBU's weapons and used it against them…

How he defeated Hidden Leaf's elite nins with a single jutsu…

Jealousy…

Envy…

A sudden lust for power maybe?

How could the blonde gain so much power to surpass an Uchiha's for a short amount of time?

Sasuke didn't give thought to his next actions, running in full speed from his hiding place and threw a fireball towards the blonde walking away from him.

He was a bit surprised when Naruto, with all his 'supposed' infinite powers and 'flawless' chakra manipulation hadn't even sensed a flame jutsu behind his back. It was only a few milliseconds worth of reaction that would have made a difference with a slightly burned arm and a singed back.

Relentless, he threw a larger fireball, one that would cause the blonde to resort in forming a chakra defense of some sort. His suspicions did not fail, though he was surprised that the blonde managed a chakra defense nobody had taught them.

His speed assisted him, deftly retrieving a kunai from his holster and pointing it at the blonde's neck.

"_To whom do I owe the pleasure of being the first person to get this near to me?"_

Sasuke felt anger coursing through his veins. It was one thing that the blonde left them THAT he was ready to forget. Hand in hand, he would have offered to take the blonde back into the village.

But for the blonde to feign ignorance and make it look like he doesn't know him is another issue.

He settled for insulting the blonde, using his most favorite nickname for him, hoping that maybe, the façade that Naruto was carrying would break and crumble…and then…

"_Dobe? Dead last you say? Look who can't even see the obvious? I effectively incapacitated their ability to fight…"_

Ok…that wasn't a 'Naruto-like' answer. There was seriousness in the tone the blonde was using…something close to humor and yet a tint of threat in case the name-calling turns sour…

"_That doesn't answer me usuratonkachi! Tell me how and why!"_

"Last chance, Sasuke…" The brunette pleaded that Naruto would stop pretending and drop the act.

"_What are you saying?"_

"_They threatened to hurt me, so I had to defend myself of course."_

Laughter.

Naruto's eyes fell on him, and Sasuke found it hard for himself to remove his gaze from those indigo orbs.

Lost…everything is lost…Naruto is lost…he may be just an apparition…a nightmare to haunt me…

And Sasuke felt weakness course through his body, dropping the kunai in effect. Not expecting, but neither surprised, his hands clutched upon flesh that grasped his neck in an instant grip that threatened to squeeze the life out of him.

There was resolution in Naruto's eyes for the blonde to kill him…as if he was nothing but an obstacle in his way…

And then he felt life return to him, when the blonde dropped him in shock, terror somewhat written in his features. Sasuke's eye stole a glance of a tattoo on the blonde's left hand. But his attention was immediately shifted at the cool breath hitting his face, as the blonde's face lingered a few inches above his own. The blonde had fallen on top of him.

"_You…could you be…Uchiha…Sasuke?"_

Sasuke was at lost for words, sensations hitting him from all directions.

Shame in finding a certain feeling of satisfaction creep up on him…

Humiliation in having a boy fall on him for the second time now…

Terror being face to face with a boy that threatened to kill him…

Awkwardness with the situation now…

Disgust(?)…possibly but somewhat unexplained…

Confusion over the feelings surrounding him…

and most of all…

Pleasure? Yes…shameful…but still…it feels wonderful. A kind of feeling Sasuke could only find when with Naruto.

"!"

Sasuke found the blonde remove himself from him after shouting at him to do so.

Naruto was unperturbed, keeping a close radius, sniffing him like a dog would to his master. Sasuke never realized that those wonderful indigo eyes, those eyes that lingered on his own orbs even while Naruto circled him, were hypnotizing him.

The blonde's face lingered once more on his face, and this time, he went for the kill.

The kiss was long and deep, something akin to those romantic novels he would read out of boredom. Well, there was more to it after the kissing scenes anyway…

Sasuke reddened at the trail of thoughts that ran through his head at that moment.

"_You really are Sasuke…how pleasurable…not a wonder why…"_

Pleasurable? He called me…pleasurable? Damnit, I'm not a whore you can smooch when you like, asshole!

Sasuke was ready to punch the blonde senseless, when the blonde did the closest thing to curtsying and kneeled before him.

"_Uzumaki Naruto…"_

"…_perhaps we'll meet again much later than you'd expect…"_

And that was the last he saw, of the boy that claimed to be Uzumaki Naruto.

* * *

"You can't be him…no, you can't be…just a nightmare…a…nightmare…" Sasuke whispered, clutching the cup so hard cracks emanated from where his fingers pressed.

"Sasuke-kun…"

Tsunade laid her hand on Sasuke's shoulder, earning a gasp from him. The cup cracked and shattered, tea and shards falling into the floor from his hands.

Sasuke looked around, from the wound in his hands, the surprised Godaime, the pieces of ceramic, and the puddle of green tea. His gaze fell back into nothingness, pondering the enigma that was the blonde.

Tsunade thought otherwise to ask Sasuke of what had transpired tonight, and asked him to return to his residence. He would ask him tomorrow, when he would be in the right…err…she meant 'proper' state of mind.

Right now…she had ten members of the ANBU in the hospital to worry about. All suffered from injuries not only of the body, but also of their chakra pathways.

She rushed, unsure what to do in cases like this for the first time.

She still wondered where Naruto was as of this moment.

* * *

"Had fun with your kills, Gaara?" Naruto casually asked, even though both were running at high speeds across the forest. He was still grinning against the wild onrush of high winds hitting their face.

"Huh…" Gaara shook up, evidently not listening to Naruto's question.

"Geez…it's no fun talking to you sometimes" Naruto pouted. "…you always seem so far away…"

"…" Gaara just stared, eyes curious at him.

Naruto grinned, happy for himself despite Gaara's dead personality. He'd treat those just as he would over an invitation for a cup of tea over an afternoon. He knew the redhead understood their mutual understanding as well; there was no need for words to pass between them.

His eyes narrowed into slits immediately, his steps halting in an instant. Gaara somehow sensed it as well, his eyes running up an ancient stone staircase.

"We're here…" Naruto rumbled, the earlier humor in his voice now gone. Gaara nodded, his eyes somehow troubled.

* * *

They slowly walked the winding staircase upward, unsure of what to see above. Gaara had actually noticed that the staircase seemed to snake around the mountain, their actual direction only turning towards their left.

The trees beside them had strange ofudas stuck into them, powerful protection spells made to ward off evil spirits. Thick ropes bundled around the trees, protecting the wards from whoever may have the audacity to destroy them.

Naruto made a small 'ch' sound, glaring dirtily at said ofudas. He stilled somewhat, blue and red chakra flowing from him. The wind around them howled for an instant, the trees shaking as if rejecting the blonde's advances. Instantly, Naruto did the seals of the tiger and the snake.

Gaara stood unbelieving, the blonde before him attempting to destroy a seal a sea of ofudas had casted upon the area. The staircase underneath Naruto's feet started to crack around, evidence of his effort to destroy the ofudas.

The air shook around, forcing Gaara to brace himself. One moment of silence before a shockwave emanated from Naruto, sand and rocks stirred up into flight.

"Ura Fuin: Mahoton!"(Reverse Seal: Demonic Flame Release!)

(A jutsu used to dispel a seal's effect over an area. Flames attack the source of the seal in an instant, whether it is a person, animal or object. Seals created by persons are harder to destroy.)

* * *

The seals and ropes bound around them burned with a blue flame in an instant, a flame that did not burn their host trees, but only seemed to destroy the ofudas bound to the trees.

Fog suddenly drifted around them, a natural phenomenon that was repressed by the seal, now free to float around the trees it was kept from for so long. The darkness seemed darker, the proximity suddenly becoming more silent than it was before.

Naruto was kneeling on the staircase, somewhat tired from what he did, before finally standing up once more. He continued walking, taking the delivery box along with him. Gaara calmly walked behind him, somewhat intimidated again.

For once, they did not talk even though an uncomfortable silence had surrounded them.

* * *

"Ah…"

Gaara mouthed out, not able to control his surprise at what they saw above the mountain.

It was a rundown Shinto temple, probably a hundred or even two hundred years old. There were the half-standing stone lamps on the pathway, the dilapidated roof on the house beside, the windows hanging by a single joint. Surprisingly, as with all other products of ancient construction, the wood stayed durable and unfettered by the weather.

"Gaara…"

The redhead faced the blonde, who was now eyeing him with concern. There was seriousness in his eyes.

"Stay. This is an issue both Kyuubi and I must resolve for ourselves. Please." He spoke softly.

Gaara nodded, though a bit annoyed for being cosseted. He stood beside the blonde in battles and that crap, and now he's being asked not to go near him.

But the concern in his voice pacified Gaara's pride.

The blonde smiled a bit in Gaara's response, and turned around to face the temple before him. His whisker scars immediately bled of red chakra, his fingernails lengthening in full length.

* * *

Gaara carefully observed the blonde as he walked towards the doors of the temple.

Walking slowly…

Slowly…

Slowly…

Boy, Gaara was bored in an instant already. He turned around and decided to sit at the steps of the staircase, the fog below them as thick as a low-lying cloud.

There was a certain feeling of terror in the back of Gaara's head. Questions that formed earlier in his head were still unanswered.

This is the place of power…the source of the Nine-Tailed Beast's demonic powers. How could a tranquil place like this be the source of something so destructive and vile?

Gaara looked back towards the blonde, noticing the aura of chakra flaring away from the temple. A natural resistance seemed to blow the chakra away from the structure.

One more step and the blonde was encroached in a fog that offered little visibility.

Gaara looked away, his attention brought towards a piece of paper flying towards him, carried by the wind.

It was probably from the destroyed ofudas, the paper still tingled with embedded chakra. But there was something else that made Gaara's eyes widen in realization.

It was as if it was the key to all his answers.

* * *

**Last time we came here, this was much easier…**

"Getting old for this, fox?" Naruto teased, finding difficulty in traversing the pathway towards a door. A strange force seemed to throw the chakra shield he placed around himself, and once in a while, some sharp force slit his skin in his face, neck and hands, only to close up and heal.

Here…

They were standing before the door of the temple, and in it were two ofudas stuck on it in an X-formation. The wood beneath them reacted violently to Naruto's aura, creaking and bending out of shape.

Naruto extended his right arm, in a position of blasting the doorway, supporting it with his left hand. Chakra began collecting in Naruto's hand, air collecting itself into a violent ball of rushing wind.

"Rasengan!" Naruto roared, letting go of the orb. The Rasengan hit full force into the ofudas, millimeters over the surface. A force somewhat resisted for a few moments before the orb made contact. The charms were torn to shreds; power was emitted from them, released into the night sky in the form of yellow lights. Century-collected dust rose in great amounts as the Rasengan dissipated into powerful waves of wind.

* * *

The fog had begun to dissipate from the top of the mountain. Naruto had just shivered as the surrounding air had seemed to drop a few ten degrees colder.

"C'mon, Gaara!" Naruto hollered to a shadow in the distance.

The tanuki-bearer slowly came into view, box of food in one hand. His eyes darted to and fro, apparently startled from the change in the environment.

"Just what happened, Naruto?"

The blond looked around, seemingly unsatisfied with something. He thought it best to leave it for tomorrow.

"The holding seal in this place had been broken. Something's still wrong though, Kyuubi isn't getting stronger, like he told me he would if I cleared the place." Naruto took hold of a few pieces of the wood that was once the temple.

Exploding tag on hand, he threw it onto the wood pile. The whole bunch conflagrated into a very large bonfire. Gaara silently watched from the sidelines.

"Kyuubi says that I'll have to look around in daylight tomorrow." Naruto sighed. "So, in the meantime, get that box in here and we'll eat." He motioned for the ramen.

The boys ate in silence, the only sounds were the constant slurping and slipping of noodles into their mouths. It was a wonderful feeling, the slightly warm broth on their mouths, the hot fire before them, and the cold night air behind them.

"Ramen taste good?" Naruto tried making small talk.

"Hmn." Gaara grunted, his mouth full of noodles. His eyes still stuck at his bowl.

"Gaara, you don't eat noodles while constantly looking at them. You're gonna put them in shock." Naruto joked around.

Gaara trailed his eyes at the blond.

"You ALSO don't glare at people while they're eating. Makes them conscious with how the way they eat." Naruto added, before slurping his noodles noisily.

"Doesn't seem to bother you." Gaara replied.

"That's beside the point. I eat how I want to eat. Most people would eat bit by bit just because they want to look good." Naruto burped obnoxiously.

"Well…this is beside the point too." Gaara finished his own bowl.

Naruto stared at him in curiosity.

"What is?"

"Me. Staring at you."

Naruto cocked his head in askance.

"Well, what then is your point?"

"You're a nice sight to look at."

"…"

"…"

"…should I be flattered?" Naruto grinned nervously.

Gaara expressed boredom at once. "You don't have to be. I'm sure you're telling yourself how handsome you are to yourself everyday."

"Hey! I resent that!"

Gaara raised an eyebrow.

"Give me more credit! I tell myself how handsome AND charming I am to myself everyday!" Naruto gave a very wide grin.

An owl hooted by.

"…"

"…"

"Go to sleep, Uzumaki."

Gaara threw a sand ball at the grinning blond.

* * *

I'm lost, where will I go?

REVISED CHAPTER!


	18. Spiraling Down

Omake' stuff: This chapter has been revised. See chapter 22 for changes.

And for the record…the song is mine! Konoha isn't mine! So I hold partial ownership to the song!

-

Chapter 18: Spiraling Down

-

_-Daybreak-_

"Naruto…there's something peculiar down here." Gaara called from the ashes of their makeshift bonfire.

The blond, sitting atop a tree, jumped down and gazed at what Gaara was pointing at. There was a familiar symbol on the floor of the burned-down temple.

"This is the symbol of the Village of Konohagakure." Gaara murmured.

Naruto glared at the symbol like it was a bug. That needed squishing, that is.

"Kyuubi is right. His power was tampered. Maybe it was the Fourth's doing." He ran his fingers over the tiled collage on the floor.

"_**Quite right, gaki. I felt a wane in my power the night I was imprisoned inside your body. I could not resist the Death God's grasp when he pulled me towards the seal."**_

Naruto stood up and cleared the ash away. Gaara helped clear the mess with his sand as well.

"Well, this is a no-brainer." Naruto remarked. The other couldn't help but agree.

A single, large symbol of the Leaf was all that showed up in the floor. There were no other strange markings, no weird symbols, no encrypted messages. Nothing. Nothing helpful at all.

"Kyuubi!" Naruto growled out of frustration. "This is your damned mountain, you should know something, damnit!"

No reply.

"Argh! Stupid old fox!" Naruto yelled, kicking a few rocks towards the floor.

The rocks did no damage to the tiles, and with the slight inclination of the mountain, started to roll off. The blond did nothing but observe frustratingly, impatience getting the better of him.

Gaara's eyes widened, somehow entranced at the sight. Naruto's attention followed suit.

The rocks had started to spin at the center at first, as if being controlled by a magnetic force. And then…

One by one, the rocks, some big and some small, began to roll in a spiral direction, away from the floor, away from the symbol. They rolled on end, until they reached the stairways both boys used to climb up and clattered noisily downwards.

Naruto followed the rocks, and was intrigued that all of them followed the path of the stairs. All of them reached the last step down the stairs. Only after did they fell down from the stairs did the rocks scatter and spread in different directions.

"Kyuubi, you thinking what I'm thinking?" Naruto ran back upwards, delight in his voice. Inside, he felt the fox give a grin of the same magnitude.

* * *

_The wind blows, flying high from the earth._

Naruto had his arms planted upon the symbol once more, face nit in concentration, beads of sweat falling down from his face.

_Leaves, and dust, and dreams in its wake._

His chakra began to seep out of his arms, and had spread across the tiled floor. The blond began to exert more effort, his body suddenly engulfed in his flame-like chakra.

_The sky flows, falling down to the ground. _

Slowly, the red chakra began to flow steadily like water, like blood. It began its sluggish journey, spiraling away from the blond, hewing a path the same the rocks took earlier.

_Rain, and fire, and tears; it returns_

The spiral staircase that slowly reacted to the chakra started from blue to red. If earlier, the chakra flowed fluidly; it had grown sluggish, grown viscous and syrupy The blond had began to exert more effort, keeping the stream moving downwards until it could reach the last steps of the staircase below.

_The trees will find no shelter, when the sky falls down._

Gaara slightly observed, marveling at the sight. Marveling at the blond himself. A small grin danced around his lips, but he made sure the blond didn't note of it. _He shouldn't note of it._ So, quietly, he remained up above the branches, continuing to just stare and watch the act.

_The rain of fire, the sky will bring. Call the dark to bring it back._

From far away, it looked like the mountain was on fire. Konoha village briefly wondered if the mountain had indeed caught on something as large as a forest fire. Tsunade knew better Every ninja that fought the Kyuubi a long time back should know better.

_A thousand birds will mourn for the living.-Old Konoha song._

The stone stairs had exploded of the heavy load that flowed over them. The blonde began to scream overtly, his voice heard over the forests and meadows of the Fire Country. Gaara had taken on a manic façade, suddenly power lust evident in his eyes. People screaming that the mountain was on fire, that it will explode or turn to dust.

And as fast as the rumbles and sounds came, it was also as fast as the mountain suddenly just collapsed soundlessly, into dust.

The place, once teeming with life, had suddenly collapsed into dust.

A ball of star light gleamed from the rubble.

Naruto had eagerly lunged for it, content with the glow and kept the ball in the folds of his body.

In a minute, both shinobi were gone. Mountain left in desolation.

* * *

(A few hours later)

Tsunade came into the area, appalled at the destruction that took place. The members of ANBU escorted her to the area; she was troubled by the sudden burst of chakra felt far away.

Everything was dust. It was as if the entire mountain vanished, only to be replaced by a desert of black sand.

Her eyes lingered on the sea of ebony, a rogue color catching her eyes.

The woman looked thoughtfully at the box at hand, not knowing what to make of the situation.

"Ichiraku's…" She read the sign found outside the delivery box.

* * *

Sasuke was mechanically walking (read: walking like a stiff robot) along the streets of Konoha, apparently recovering from what happened last night.

He arrived at the academy a bit later. Having not eaten at his house, he decided to take breakfast inside the canteen.

Surprisingly, there was only one person inside. Hyuuga Neji, who thought the same as Sasuke, taking his breakfast there as well.

Sasuke ordered a bit for himself (onigiri, some salmon, and tea) and sat across Neji. The Hyuuga apparently hadn't noticed the brunette, jumping slightly when Sasuke noisily (rather purposefully) placed his tray and ate quietly.

"I suppose you want to talk about something?" Neji wearily looked at Sasuke, sipping his tea mildly.

"No."

"Sitting across me doesn't hint that you want to talk to me?" Neji spoke surly.

The brunette gazed at him. "I didn't want to eat alone."

"You found Naruto?'

* * *

The brunette halted immediately, his onigiri being returned towards the plate. He took his cup and drank some of the tea before returning his attention towards the pale boy before him.

"He's changed?"

Sasuke nodded briefly, not knowing whether to be relaxed or irritated at Neji's ability to read minds. It saved him from talking, but he didn't want to speak about the whole matter.

The white-eyed boy decided to quit talking, turning back to his tea. Sasuke took the opportunity of returning the favor.

"I heard there's trouble within the main house…"

"What their trouble is…sometimes is ours…"

"Do you know?"

"They would not inform us…but I have my suspicions that Naruto would be involved…"

Sasuke sighed, finishing his meal. He immediately headed for the door.

"The chuunin exams are coming…" Neji hollered.

"I know…" Sasuke replied.

"He'll be here…" Neji spoke confidently.

Sasuke opened the door and slowly closed it behind him.

"I know…" He whispered.

* * *

REVISED CHAPTER! Yes, and I know it's very short for a chapter. I'll add a few details later on, but for now…this will do. 


	19. Story Arc 2 In Preparation

Omake' stuff: This chapter has been revised. Please see Chapter 22 for changes.

-

Chapter 19: Story Arc 2 In Preparation

-

"Ohayo…Ojiisan…" Tsunade cheerily greeted the cook of Ichiraku.

"Ah! Hokage-sama! To what do I owe the honor?" The man suddenly bowed, feeling awkward in the presence of their Kage. It was rare that an important person would drop by their stall.

"One ramen please…" She sighed, wearily sitting down on one of the chairs.

"Had a busy day, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade nodded. "We had an excursion to a place outside the village."

"Ah…may I ask why?" He spoke in a low tone, busy cutting the lobster and vegetables into a wide bowl. The pot beside him whistled from steam.

Tsunade contemplated, crossing her fingers across the table.

A few moments more.

"I have to ask you something, Ojiisan…"

The cook nodded, presenting the Godaime her bowl of ramen, its contents overflowing with varied ingredients.

"Here…" She bought the half-burnt delivery box on the table, earning a frown from the chef.

A few moments of silence.

"May I ask where the Hokage found this?" He ran a finger across the burnt wood.

Tsunade gently slurped the noodles up, chewing thoughtfully on the fishcakes and crabmeat. She raised the bowl and sipped the strong broth, liking its flavor.

"I found it in the mountain which was forbidden…" She sighed, putting down the bowl.

The wood fell on the table.

"Nani?"

Tsunade eyed him thoughtfully. She knew that the cook knew something…it was reflected in his eyes. It was a look that told her the cook knew what was coming along...

"You know the person, yes?" She asked, trying to hide the desperation in her voice.

The cook hesitated to answer, trapped in a position he did not like.

"I could say I know him once…"

Tsunade shot up, taking the cook's surprised collar, tension in her face.

"Tell me…was it him?" She asked, not sure what answer she'd want.

The cook merely shook his head.

"The person I gave that box to had blonde hair, blue eyes, and whisker scars…" He spoke, the Hokage's grip loosening, a shimmer of hope in her eyes.

But he looked away, his voice lost in uncertainty.

"But he is not Naruto."

…

…

…

"I should just go…thank you for the meal, Ojiisan…" Tsunade left, her eyes downcast. There was a frown on her lips.

So much for hope being dangled in front of her, and wrenched away all of a sudden.

* * *

Sakura was shuffling from different medical beds that day.

It was the worse scenario she had ever seen. No, it wasn't because of the blood that was running on the floor, nor the fact that the few top members of the ANBU had returned minus a few limbs and arms or legs, or even that one was dead on arrival.

She was thinking who would have done such a thing.

"It must be a monster, or maybe a demon." The kunoichi thought, while her hands fumbled with the needle and surgical thread. She had been summoned for that special case, the hospital finally recognizing her medical skills due to her perfect chakra control and feminine nature. Her tutelage under Tsunade certainly helped too.

But whatever it was, she was praying and hoping on one thing…

…that whatever did this would not set his eyes on their village.

Her mind returned to the story the Godaime had told her and the village a few weeks ago.

* * *

"Anou…Hokage-sama…"

Tsunade raised her eyes from the pile of paperwork that was threatening the table underneath to buckle through. It met with the pale, dark orbs of Uchiha Sasuke.

"What is it, Sasuke-kun?" She asked, albeit her voice strained from the amount of work that was taking their toll on her.

"You…wanted to talk to me about that night…Hokage?"

Tsunade raised an eyebrow. Talk? Definitely not how an Uchiha thinks, that's what came to her mind all of a sudden.

But seeing the defeated boy in front of her, somehow emotions of disbelief, envy and even a futile attempt of salvaging his pride, running through his face made her think otherwise.

She immediately pushed the mountain of paperwork to her side, called for Shizune and asked for tea and some biscuits for both of them. She motioned for the Uchiha to sit in the chair before her as well.

The tea was bought in, the biscuits on the table, but silence reigned between the two of them, each one unsure of what to say first.

"It was Naruto…"

Tsunade gazed from her cup; Sasuke was hesitating to tell her something. Although her heart was pounding upon hearing some good news (Naruto is alive!), the brunette's tone made her calm down just to listen more.

"Go on…"

Sasuke flinched despite himself, but kept his aura of dignity intact. He presented a sealed scroll, and pushed it towards the Hokage.

Tsunade gazed at it curiously, biting her lower lip in anxiety. Carelessly, she tore the cord tying the scroll around it, opened it, and raised it to the light to see a large blotch of ink.

Wait…

That blotch of ink looked like a seal, a circle in the middle and from it, radiated many wavy tentacles. Kind of like the designs one would find in ancient scrolls.

"I found it on Naruto's left hand, he was acting like it was some sort of curse seal…I don't really know…" Sasuke impassively said, not looking at the Hokage's reaction to the crude drawing.

The scroll fell with a thunk on the wooden table, jolting Sasuke to look at the look of utter confusion on Tsunade's face.

She ran to the side, opening a rather large and old trunk (it was probably where she kept all her medical jutsu books and stuff), until she retrieved a dusty, almost torn tome.

"Tohma!" The Hokage summoned the ANBU standing by the door, he immediately rustled over, curious as to why the Godaime was panicking.

"Send for Jiraiya at once!" She waved at him, the ANBU disappearing in a gust of wind. A mere twenty seconds passed before the hermit appeared in a puff of smoke alongside the panting guard.

"What do you want, woman? I was still busy collecting…" Jiraiya drawled out, apparently disgruntled at being taken away from his 'work'. His eyes fell on the scroll on the table.

His eyes widened in recognition, and disappeared in a puff of smoke again. It was a few moments later that he reappeared, holding the same tome the Godaime had. His, however, was much more well-kept and intact, the Godaime's displayed a rather large amount of neglect.

Hesitantly, they placed both the books down, opening it with care and skimmed across the contents, their eyes flitting smoothly across the fluttering of pages. Sasuke leaned on, his stolid eyes betraying his inward curiosity.

Jiraiya's hand stopped flipping the pages blankly; the book presented the same seal found on Sasuke's scroll. His eyes widened, disbelief starting creep across his face. Tsunade followed suit, as if an unexpected load was dumped on her delicate heart.

"Dead Soul Bind no Jutsu…" Jiraiya whispered, as if dreading to say it.

"It can't be…but how is it possible?" Tsunade whispered, covering her mouth with her hands, shaking somewhat as if to edge her disbelief away.

"How could Orochimaru had done it! Naruto…he…I can't believe the brat would have been for this…" Jiraiya grew irritated, fisting his knuckles. He slammed one onto Tsunade's wooden desk, stifling a gasp in frustration.

Sasuke lingered his eyes on both of them, apparently not finding his place in the dark a very good location to be in. Damnable things, Uchihas don't get left behind in the latest news! He should know what they know!

He went closer, sharing Jiraiya's side as he lingered on the book.

Fuinshin: Shikon Shibari no Jutsu

…-….-,-…-…-Ryu-Tora

_Forbidden Jutsu. This is employed for assassination purposes using people closest to their victims. This induces **a state of **temporary **handicap for the host's mind to think correctly, and will move upon order and instinct of the dominant nin**._

_There are several conditions for this jutsu to work. **One, latent trust, whether innocence, willingness, or foolishness, from the part of the host.** And two, risks have to be understood by the nin. _

_The nin should understand that if he dies, so will the victim under his influence, but not vice-versa. Any negative form of emotion from the victim also goes towards the nin. When the nin and his victim are more distant from each other, noted weakness will arise from such, leaving the nin temporarily helpless. ALL these however, work only on the temporary version._

_The long-term soul embrace poses greater power and risks than the temporary one. The conditions stated above still apply, but this time there will be no weakness penalty when the nin and his host are separated. **In this state, the host will have complete access to the nin's memories as such, whereas the nin has free reign over the host's mind. DO NOTE however, that if the host dies, so will the nin**. _

_The host cannot be freed on any condition except the following: **He may be freed by death, or a complete reversal of emotions.** The second option can be fulfilled through another jutsu (see entry 168), and is necessary to purge all former emotions that may have been embedded into the host's mind._

_**There is,** however, **a chance of failure if the host's will is weak, and may result to insanity or mental death (the feeling of being locked inside one's mind).**_

_Mercy by death is a more veritable option if one wishes to free a person from this jutsu_.

-

"This is a jutsu of insanity…" Jiraiya still looked stunned, mildly mumbling curses at the snake.

"I only thought he went away to recollect his mind, and the next thing I hear is that he turns lapdog to him!"

Tsunade was close to crying, her appearance now starting look more disheveled.

"I just don't know why! What made him run away? What! He told me that he didn't mind the village at all, that he would work his way to become the Hokage! That people will finally recognize him…" She latched on to whatever small amount of self-control she had not to break down, her memories wandering to that painful moment when Naruto handed her the Hokage's necklace.

Jiraiya looked even more mournful than before, knowing he had a hand in Naruto's situation.

He never thought that what they had done would push the blonde to his edges.

His eyes gazed at the stoic brunette idly standing beside him, gaze delivering a message to the boy.

Help him!

Mend him!

Only you can save him from what he has become!

* * *

Sasuke glanced upwards at the hermit, his eyes understood what he was trying to say.

He couldn't say he genuinely loved the blonde…

But he wasn't dispassionate to him either…he must admit that it was the blonde who bought life in this village…

And apart from finding Itachi, he knew there would be no other reason why he must live.

He gazed hungrily at the book, taking note where Tsunade returned it. Jiraiya only nodded towards him, understanding the motives in his eyes.

_Sasuke needed to learn everything that is with that jutsu if he was to undo the damage done to Naruto to make the blonde act the way he was. Jiraiya wouldn't part with his, he would need it later if he wanted to know how to free the blonde from said jutsu. _

The Sannin almost had the instinct what the snake purported to do, as if always finding out the goal behind the intricate plans and workings of his dark mind.

But this time, he was worried.

Orochimaru presented him a technique both him and Tsunade knew by heart. A technique taught to them by the book Sarutobi presented to the three of them. Why, then, would he use something the three of them knew?

Is he actually delivering a message?

Does he actually want to say something?

* * *

Sasuke watched the hermit mull over for a few minutes, before mumbling an excuse to the Godaime and leave.

He'd come back sooner or later.

He should.

Sasuke would steal that book tonight.

* * *

The blonde slowly opened his eyes, accustoming to the darkness of the room. It had been two nights already that he slept in this room.

He slowly extracted himself from the pale man beside him, finding comfort upon his sleeping form. A smile, strange yet somewhat strained, flicked across his lips.

"Otokage-sama…" He sighed, finding comfort in saying the man's title. He can never bring himself to say Orochimaru's name again. The blood bath he went through yesterday had made him feel glorified of himself…yet somehow, he knew his worth as a mongrel amongst the Sound nin had degraded that to dirt.

Who in their right minds enjoy bathing in another person's blood anyways? Insane and demented people perhaps, but Naruto wanted not to care.

He'd compare his situation to that of vultures. They don't mind eating dead animal's remains, because it's not what they enjoy.

_It's what they need to survive. _

At least to Naruto, blood kept his sanity intact. There was something in red that particularly comforted his thoughts…

He tried to remember what it was though…searching the pallid landscapes of his memories, trying to find a familiar shade of red. But there was nothing…save for Gaara's red hair and the bloody night that was last evening.

His eyes fell back on the rustling on the bed, apparently his thoughts roused the tanned man sleeping by. Naruto looked away when eyes fell on him, giving him attention he didn't solicit.

"You're troubling yourself…"

Naruto hesitantly gazed at the Otokage, though he gave a smile that tried to hide what he felt inside.

"No hiding…I know what you're thinking. It's easy to pry into your mind, pet." Orochimaru moved closer, grasping Naruto's back and indulging a kiss for himself. The blonde gave no sign of resistance, albeit finding strength in the act.

Tears fell from his eyes in an instant, surprising the Otokage. He drew back, as if his lips hurt the blonde. His eyes hinted of concern, at the same time of imperialism.

"I just don't understand, Otokage-sama. How can you look at me that way? How can you even touch me? You're a kage, and I'm just some piece of shit…I feel like I'm defiling you!" Naruto spoke, his voice was very hoarse. He wanted to draw back, wanting to just bury himself away from that pale body before him, but finding no heart to do so.

_Defile me? It seems to be the other way around, pet._

Naruto, even through his denial of affection, appreciated the fact when Orochimaru drew his fingers onto his tear-lined cheeks. He needed that.

"Don't deny me…I know what you are, and I know you're not close to shit. You're the most talented of my shinobis here in Hidden Sound and is the leader of the Sound Four. Don't insult me by saying you're not worth it…I should know…I can delve your past and tell you how it affects me…" Orochimaru ran his hand onto the blonde's silky hair.

Naruto stopped crying a few moments, purring contently on Orochimaru's touch. He immediately tackled the other man, surprising him as well. Orochimaru always wanted to see this naughty and impish side of his pet.

"Thanks…I feel better now." Naruto landed a small peck on Orochimaru's lower lip before extracting himself to take a shower. He had a few days more to train.

Orochimaru sighed, feeling that warm feeling draining onto him. It was genuine comfort from the blonde. Not happiness which he one day wanted to pour from him, but it will do for now.

He noted the soft hums coming from the blonde in the shower, amidst the falling water. There was a sense of childishness emanating from that room, and that broke the Otokage's face into a grin.

He knew he was failing.

There was no more of the Orochimaru he once was.

Probably the blonde was starting to rub off of him. Inner workings of that jutsu, no doubt. Once, he'd find himself staring at himself holding a paper airplane on one hand. He was considering therapy upon that discovery.

But he knew the equation.

If Naruto was starting to act like him, Orochimaru was already starting to act like Naruto.

* * *

Naruto had spent the whole morning and noon training.

And training.

And training.

And training.

And training.

Not that he cared anyway.

Orochimaru had notified the two of them of the impending Chuunin exams. If Naruto wanted to command explicit authority, he had to become a jounin at least. And there was no way he was becoming one if he didn't take the first step at removing his genin status.

Training was mandatory for him and his teammates. The Chuunin exams were but a week from now, and after that search for other members for the Sound Four (or two as the case makes it so), he barely had time to manage his new identity as Orochimaru's third man.

"Hey mongrel," His instructor drawled, "…from what the Otokage had told me, your Taijutsu skills are already superb, as is your Genjutsu and Ninjutsu…what you lack now is a signature move."

Naruto perked up.

"Signature move? Ne, sensei, what do you mean by that?" Naruto pouted.

The shinobi failed to hold an Is-this-a-joke face; nevertheless, he cleared his throat. "You still have a few days, I want you to get creative and make up a jutsu that reflects your being a Sound Shinobi.

Naruto smirked, obviously knowing what he'd do. He eyed a tree in a distance, and before the other had a say, he disappeared in a gust of wind.

The instructor merely shook his head, mumbling things like irresponsibility and cold-blooded assassins.

* * *

He returned to the Otokage's room (which currently was now HIS room as well). He nimbly took the shinobi suit off and replaced it with a white tee and tight jeans, removing the façade of a deadly assassin.

Naruto looked like Naruto once more, a simple genin that had wild dreams and teenage dilemmas. Not the bloodthirsty pet that belonged to the Otokage.

He came out of the Otokage's building (Orochimaru might have forgotten to remove that teleportation jutsu again on the door), and casually walked towards the north. But there was some queasy feeling in his stomach when he did that.

A few male shinobis, some with female ones, eyed him with interest. Occasionally, he'd hear a whistle directed towards him by a random passerby down the street.

Yesterday, he was surprised when a group of Sound nins came up on him and shouted his name bearing banners with 'Naruto Love!' on them.

(Flashback)

* * *

"_Kya! Naruto-sama! You're so cool!_"

"_Naruto-san! Make me your slave!"_

"_You were so awesome! Taking ten ANBU's down with one jutsu!"_

"_Please train me, Naruto-sama!"_

_

* * *

_

He did not know whether he would be amused or not, later that day, to realize that all of them were male. Sound shinobi can be weird…

All he gave them was a tantalizing view of him sucking his finger languidly. A few of them busted a nosebleed and flew away, while most of them swooned, mumbling how sexy and great he was. Gaara rolled his eyes, while Kabuto covered his mouth. Naruto could sense the amusement in his eyes though.

(End Flashback)

He chuckled despite himself, as if he knew a person once that had a fan club always hounding him.

His head ached once more at the thought, and wondered why evoking memories was a hard thing for him to do.

* * *

He checked the position of the sun in the sky, deducing that it was two' clock (not a hard thing to do) and sped to a grassy hill just at the rear of the Hidden Sound Village. If luck would have it, he may reach his destination without a few persons following him.

He did reach the place alone, a perfect analogy for him. Hidden Sound looked almost so dank and dark, while the hill seemed to be a mountain of redemption for him. It was like Naruto's sunshine hair that radiated a certain glow amidst the sinister atmosphere of malevolence.

Finding no one in there yet, Naruto ran up towards it, immediately landing on the soft tufts of grass that grew there. He briefly wondered how the grass would make a nice substitute for the pillows in his room. He seemed allergic to the pillows, waking up in the middle of the night just to sneeze (1).

Naruto heard a small rumble in the ground, and was surprised to see rocks starting vibrate violently by the second. A moment later, he found himself buried in an immense amount of sand.

* * *

Gaara casually strode towards the hill where the three were supposed to meet. He supposed that the blonde would be late, as is Kabuto. Kabuto seemed to make good company, if anything else as a sparring partner and for small talk. Gaara preferred to train alone though, he was confident in his sand skills.

So he was surprised when he saw the blonde lying still, sleeping amongst the grass, with the sun playing its light onto his hair and face. Seeing as how vulnerable he looked (and that familiar face, Gaara's thoughts traveled to the first time he met Naruto), he should have just made a run for Naruto and glomped him till the blonde squealed for air. He placed his gourd down beside a tree, and took his time viewing the blonde with great pleasure (and a few thoughts).

He grinned despite himself, an amusing thought coming to him. Summoning a large amount of sand from his mouth, he sent a desert avalanche.

The blonde was immediately buried in sand, his hand momentarily flailing above the brown mass before disappearing. A few more minutes and the blond failed to show up.

What the fuck…was that blond as stupid enough to just drown?

"Naruto!" The redhead ran towards him, worry starting to form. He was immediately intercepted when two kunais exploded from the buried form and flew straight at him.

Gaara retaliated with his sand shurikens, jumping upwards in an instant to get a clearer view of the area. The shuriken met with the kunais, exploding into a cloud of dust, unexpectedly blocking Gaara's view of the ground below.

The sand below started to clear up, uncovering Naruto's former position with nothing but a replacement plushie (2). A definite kawarimi, Gaara thought.

He took the plushie at hand, admiring it for its crudeness and similarity with the blonde kitsune. He looked around a bit, expecting an attack from any direction now. Any moment now…

"That tickles!"

A voice erupted below him, and in an instant (and a puff of smoke) the plushie was replaced by a sniggering blonde that erupted into a hysteric fit of laughter. Gaara found himself holding Naruto's waist, not a plushie he had been planning to keep (finding it awkwardly cute), while the blonde still laughed, leaning and holding onto Gaara for support.

"Sigh…" Naruto wiped his tears away. "…I suppose using Henge no Jutsu to turn yourself into a replacement plushie for kawarimi is out of the stealth tactics ideas…"

Gaara blushed, though he still refused to take his hands away from Uzumaki's waist.

Naruto took note of it and an impish smile came from him.

"Why, Gaara-kun? Becoming a possessive lover are we?" Naruto pouted in his most pathetic voice." Pwease, don't hurt me…sob…I won't be bad again…"

Gaara smiled, deciding to play Naruto's little game.

"Only if you'd stop flirting with the entire village. I've seen how you acted in front of your fan club." He smirked annoyingly, almost smugly.

Naruto liked this Gaara; it almost reminded him of…somebody else.

Annoying, yet smug.

"Then will Gaara-sama teach Naruto how to be his good little pet?" Naruto nudged his neck, rustling his blonde hair into the boy's dangerously reddening cheeks.

"Naruto…that's enough." Gaara immediately took possessive hold of the blonde, admitting a stifled gasp from him. "Don't ever think of yourself as something as base as that…"

Naruto frowned.

"But I am!" He argued playfully. "Last night, Otokage-sama had fun with me! He enjoyed it, and so did I! Though he doesn't love me, I still want it! I'm bad, aren't I? I'm almost as close as a…"

Gaara frowned more deeply than the blonde.

"Stop saying you're a whore! You aren't…" Gaara whispered his next line.

"…at least to me…"

Naruto halted at these words, apparently trying to let it dig into him.

Here was a man that held self-worth in his hands, holding it towards the blonde like his path to redemption. He was offering hope…and a new life.

But Naruto knew what he had to do, knew by instinct what must be done.

He must slap that hand away, and deny those words, even if it meant hope. He learned far enough that hoping had left his heart bleeding too many times.

"You're words can't mean enough, Gaara…" Naruto smirked, despite wanting to kick himself for using the redhead as a victim of his frustration against the years people hung hope in front of his face, only to tug it back (his only memory of the past). He knew Gaara did not deserve this from him, but the redhead should understand.

"…although maybe you are right. I'm not a whore…" Naruto grinned.

Gaara's eyes lit with a different tone this time. Naruto frowned.

"…I'm much, much lower than that. Thanks for reminding me. No matter what the Otokage says, I'm still lower than any piece of shit. So you're better off treating me that way…" The blonde grinned, sitting back to his original resting place. He raised his arms above his head as he fell to lie down on the grass, and nipped on a leaf he furiously tugged from a weed.

Gaara sighed. 'So much for trying to convince him…how can I…if…I can't even tell myself those things I told him?' His thoughts went on to a line he heard a while back.

"How can you save the one you love…if you can't even save yourself?"

* * *

And I leave you guys to ponder on that statement.

(1) I…uh…kinda do that. My doctor ruled out allergic rhinitis. Oh, and this case is different from sleep apnea. Apnea causes you to cough, not sneeze.

(2) Yes, well, I heard Kakashi say things about replacement logs and rabbits. I'd think it's cute when ninjas would use replacement plushies. –hurries off to attempt capturing a ninja-

Go on, read the next chapter! –disappears in a puff of smoke-

REVISED CHAPTER!


	20. Broken Contract

Omake' stuff: This chapter has been revised. See chapter 22 for changes.

-

Chapter 20: Broken Contract

-

"Is this the real you?"

Naruto turned to his side, eyeing the redhead with mild fervor, before returning his attention to the sun. It seemed to ridicule him.

"Is this how you felt all those years? When you turned your mask on the people that hated and loved you?" Gaara pressed on, wanting to know.

"Hm…" Naruto just hummed, nipping at the leaf on his mouth.

"What are you thinking at?" Gaara frowned, finding the fact that the blonde was oblivious to him, somewhat irritating. He was asking nicely, and not weirdly (as the blonde usually does), so he expected a straight answer, not some response that steered off from what they were talking.

"Nothing…just musing to myself…that's all…" Naruto crossed his arms across his chest, irritated at being disturbed.

"You still haven't answered my question, kitsune."

"WHAT! Can't you lay it off? I told you I don't know. I can't remember my past, okay?" Naruto growled, mussing his hair in frustration. Sigh, how could people be so insistent and dispassionate at the same time? Gaara was to be an enigma to Naruto, as the blonde believed.

"Sorry…" Gaara looked away, wanting to take the pressure of being asked with questions having no answers from the blonde.

Naruto shifted a glance at the redhead, softening a bit upon seeing his repentance. _Well, there's a sight you don't see everyday. A sorry Gaara…_

He smirked despite his bad mood, a plan formulating immediately beside his head.

* * *

Gaara wanted to say something else to blonde, probably to amend his rudeness earlier.

Only that the blonde in question was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, hey…"

Gaara snarled, as the blonde happily tackled him from behind. Gaara laughed at the antic, missing the time when Naruto was Naruto…

He liked the Naruto with his mask on better than this one…

So it happened that they had just too much fun that they tumbled among the soft grass, without a care in the world. Both had panted heavily, the activity a bit tiring.

Naruto glanced at the redhead, Gaara doing the same to the blonde.

He certainly looked happy, the earlier episode of discomfort and awkwardness at his question was now gone.

He grinned his vulpine smile, Gaara had found it almost endearing. God, he missed that smile so much…

* * *

"Thank you…"

Gaara was busy ogling the boy only to realize that the blonde was talking to him.

"Huh?"

Naruto gently grasped one of Gaara's hands and clutched it, bringing it close to his beating heart. Gaara shivered, finding how passionate Naruto's heart would beat.

"It makes me happy…that…you are here with me…right now…"

Gaara's smile almost sank at the seriousness of the situation.

A once in a lifetime moment.

When Naruto would emerge from the lifeless shell that he was…

…the puppet that he claimed to be owned by Orochimaru.

Naruto turned towards him, still smiling, sincerity flowing through him.

"I'm a terrible liar, you know that?"

Gaara merely stared at him, not wanting to talk.

"I feel like…I was wearing a mask once…a stupid mask. And one day, I just grew tired and threw it away, finally relieved to feel the sun on my bare face…"

He softly caressed his whisker scars, a frown tugging his gentle smile.

"…only to find out that another mask was beneath it…"

_Is this how Naruto feels? Beneath the Naruto I know, and the Naruto I perceive?_

_Or will I never meet the boy with the mysterious blue eyes?_

"I clawed viciously, trying to tear that mask off…only to find another underneath it! It's endless!" He gulped soundly, his eyes reflecting terror.

"Now…I wonder…

Beneath all the masks that lay torn around me…

Of porcelain and ivory…

Of paper and wood…

Some painted bright and some plain…

Is there a face beneath them?"

He turned to Gaara, who looked a bit shocked at what he said.

"Can you tell me? Do you know me? More than what my masks can say…"

* * *

Gaara sat up, yet didn't leave his hand on the blonde's chest. Naruto tried to take the moment and see if he would answer.

He turned his eyes away.

"Alas…Naruto. How can I answer? When I myself might be wearing a mask…and I still wonder if this is my face or not…"

The blonde gazed at him sadly, tears cascaded from his eye.

Gaara turned towards him, unable to resist. He placed a chaste kiss on Naruto's cheek, and wiped a few of his tears away.

"But, tears cannot be hidden by masks…and that is enough to know, that one day, Naruto…there will be no more masks on your face…" Gaara offered a smile, making the blonde smile back.

"Tears can tell you more…

That there are eyes that look out to the world…

That your heart feels…and does not remain impassive…

That there is indeed…a face beneath them all…"

Naruto brought Gaara's hand to his face. He kissed it softly, as if it was a bastion of his sanity.

And slowly closed his eyes, in an attempt to sleep peacefully at least for once.

"That will do, Gaara…" Naruto sighed as he finally fell asleep.

"That will do…"

* * *

Gaara was officially dumbfounded.

Fuckity…fuck…fuck…

FUCK!

It was driving him crazy! Driving him mad!

Why does Naruto keep doing this to him!

One day, he'd act all flirty and perverted. The next, he'd be broody and murderous.

The next thing he'd know is that the blonde would look so angelic and goddamn vulnerable!

Which made Gaara vulnerable too…

Which in turn makes him weak!

"Hey…" A tap on his shoulder.

"GAAAAAH!" The redhead jumped (a few meters from the ground), landing quite painfully in his butt. He turned a distasteful eye towards the intruder.

"FUUUUCK!" He instantly spouted a new line of insults upon the second surprise, when a pair of glasses faced him in an instant.

Kabuto had arrived shortly, his mouth set in a thin line. He was fairly amused, albeit suspicious, of Gaara's rather uncalled-for reactions.

"I never took you to be so perverse, Gaara-kun…" Kabuto smiled almost knowingly.

"You surprised me." Gaara frowned.

"Do you get surprised all the time?" He insinuated.

"That's not the point." Gaara pointed out.

"It sure looks like it." Kabuto countered..

…

Gaara looked suspicious of Kabuto at once. He'd always had been the smart one in the pack, and was more dangerous even than Orochimaru, when it came to mind games.

"Do you see?" He pointed at the blonde's direction.

"Naruto is sleeping…so…" He trailed off.

"Shouldn't we treasure this moment?"

…

"Why?"

"…"

"Tell me, why?"

"This moment might not come once more. For him."

"Getting sentimental, Gaara-kun?"

"I view life by its rarities, Kabuto-san. You fail to see what I can."

"Perhaps I do." Kabuto admitted defeat. He never was the sentimental type of guy.

Gaara looked at Kabuto, lost in thought. Truth be told, he never heard of anything about the white-haired nin. He was an enigma just as Naruto is. The only things he can deduce about Kabuto was he'd make a damn good ally and an annoying enemy.

"He looks so…untouchable." Gaara spoke softly.

Kabuto gazed at him, his thoughts going to a few years past.

"Hard to believe, that years back, he was an obnoxious little brat. Sticking for what was always what he believed was right and protecting the same people that wanted to kill him. While he didn't know I was spy, he really like me a lot. Saw brother material in me, you know that?" Kabuto sighed.

Gaara looked surprised at this revelation. _So Naruto had known this guy from before?_

"If you'd seen the tension Naruto and Sasuke always emanated from one another, it almost felt like watching husband and wife bickering over things. So nostalgic and almost endearing." Kabuto reminisced. "Naruto did like Sasuke very much…"

"I guess he really does." Gaara looked away..

He nodded. "And even if he acted that way to him, he seemed so happy. Because he was his only family, even if he did not act as much as that way to him, he would be content."

Gaara bit his lip at this revelation.

"Hey may not know…but he's also my family…" He whispered.

* * *

Kabuto looked sideways, hesitating about a few revelations at heart..

"He looked up to me before as a brother he never had. And he hated me with the same magnitude when I turned sides. Naruto hated my betrayal, but I had a feeling he never hated me. Only for who I had become."

"Because he sees people without their names…I'm no Gaara of the Desert as you are Kabuto, Orochimaru's right hand man to him."

He turned to the nin beside him, giving him a scrutinizing look.

"So simple minded and naïve. He is indeed a rarity people should have protected."

…

"He loves you?" Kabuto changed topic.

Gaara turned his attention back to that angelic face, mumbling something.

"Only as a friend…" Gaara gazed at the sleeping blond.

"You two had spent more times smooching than a couple of newlyweds do on their honeymoon. That sure is a weird sense of sarcasm even for you." Kabuto glanced at him, mirth in his eyes..

…

"Tell me. I know part of the story, but why did Naruto run away from his village? This is so unlikely of him." Kabuto asked.

Gaara briefly wondered telling him what their spies told him, and decided to go for it.

"Perhaps Sasuke may be the reason. I only found out that Naruto's heart broke into pieces because of him…"

"Figures. The only one to make Naruto act so weird was Sasuke."

Gaara thought briefly.

"Sometimes, even I have to berate Naruto for his idiocy. Investing something as precious as your feelings to a person who will never reciprocate that back." Gaara sulked, suddenly troubled by what he said.

"Because, you and Naruto are the same? Isn't it, Gaara-kun?" Kabuto wryly added.

Gaara looked at him.

"We're fools, aren't we?"

Kabuto laughed.

"It's not foolish living a human life. Full of pain and lies and deceit and sorrow."

Naruto stirred.

"You should be happy you experience drama once in a while. Adds tension to the whole scene. Life makes great rebounds when it comes to these types of things." Kabuto laughed mirthfully.

Gaara looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps. It was how I met Naruto in the first place anyway. He was the only friend that had understood me."

Kabuto stood up.

"I hope you're saying that not because Naruto is also a jinchuuriki like you." Kabuto stated.

The redhead looked at him.

"No, maybe not. That could never be the main reason." He concluded. "But it could be one of them…"

Kabuto walked away, parting words passing his lips.

"Live life to the fullest, Gaara-kun. You'll never know when everything suddenly ceases to exist."

Gaara mulled the idea, eyes fixed upon the stirring blond.

-

"Uh…"

The blonde sat up from his bed of grass, with a dazed look in his eyes. He turned to his side to see the redhead.

He nodded a bit, tilting his head forward, before standing in full height.

"I must go for a while…Otokage-sama is calling me…" The blonde spoke in a far-offish tone.

He disappeared before Gaara had a chance to say anything.

* * *

Naruto momentarily appeared in Orochimaru's lair, surprised to see a pedestal prepared in the center, a frog in a plate, a knife, and a scroll.

"Naruto…" Orochimaru tilted his head in greeting.

"Otokage-sama…" Naruto bowed low in respect before coming forward to the pedestal.

"It's time you renew your contract with summoned animals, Naruto…but somehow, I find your contract with frogs a bit outlandish for your nature."

Naruto nodded, though he didn't understand a thing.

"I want you to change your summon into that of the snake…" He spoke sibilantly.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something, but kept it shut.

"You ask if this is possible, my pet? When you are bound to those warty amphibians?"

Naruto numbly nodded, fear evident in his eyes that he may have displeased the Otokage.

"It is possible, through a simple ritual of denouncement. All you have to do is commit the ultimate atrocity towards your contract animal, and offer it to the new host."

Orochimaru presented a snake before him; it slithered below the pedestal as if waiting. Naruto finally understood the point of the frog, the knife and the scroll.

"Stab the frog with the knife, Naruto. And offer it's body and blood to the snake."

Naruto did as he was told, flinching in mild pain when the knife went through the poor creature. Blood pooled in the copper plate before he lowered it into the floor, the snake hungrily tearing at the carcass and lapping at its blood.

* * *

"KYAH!"

Jiraiya's eyes widened as he saw smoke coming from the scroll kept in a far corner of his room. He immediately unfurled it into the table and wondered why it exuded smoke, when it wasn't burning.

It was the scroll of the Frog Summoning Contract.

His eyes widened when he saw the ink on Naruto's name boil and sizzle, melting into the paper. A few more minutes and nothing was of the name, save for a hole that bore Uzumaki Naruto's name.

Only Uzumaki Arashii's name and Jiraiya's remained in the scroll.

From the ground, Jiraiya could hear Gamabunta's anguished cry.

* * *

The blonde idly viewed the scene with mild satisfaction, as the snake swallowed the carcass whole, leaving no trace of a bone or an eye.

He immediately unfurled the scroll and saw Orochimaru and Mitarashi Anko's name in it. Biting a small wound on his thumb, he imprinted it onto a space beside his, and wrote 'Uzumaki Naruto'.

"It is done…Otokage-sama…"

Orochimaru smirked. "Excellent…we may do the summoning at a later time. But for now…I want you to get rested for tomorrow."

"I will personally see to your training as a Sound shinobi."

Naruto nodded, before turning around to return to their room.

"Situations call for it Naruto…I don't want to lose you…"

The blonde turned towards him, a flitting of concern in his eyes, before he finally disappeared behind the doors.

"I'll never lose you…"

(Flashback)

* * *

"_Itachi!"_

_Orochimaru rose from his seat upon finding the older Uchiha enter his lair. This was quite a surprise, considering Akatsuki was quiet for a few years already._

"_I heard you have acquired a new plaything…"_

"_And?" He narrowed his eyes at the Uchiha._

"_Take care of him…"_

_He turned around to leave just as he came._

"…_you never know…things just disappear all of a sudden…"_

_He smirked, leaving Orochimaru shaking until his knuckles turned paler._

_

* * *

_

REVISED CHAPTER!

Took me a long while purging my OC off from this page.


	21. Kyuubi's Memories 1

Omake' stuff: I had my muses telling me one day (in my mind) that I have really been too cliche' with how the hell Naruto would just run away because of a simple reason like his not-so-straight orientation. So, here are a few chapters to answer their obvious rantings. Sorry for this chapter guys, but I really had to explain so this story wouldn't sound too cliche'.

This chapter I decided to make a strong plot anchor. Yes, that's right! If anyone has complaints, let them draw their swords and come fight me! –looks around- Uh…anyway, try to look out for small details in this chapter. This is where I establish things once and for all before I try to delve into the story more.

And for the record, yes, I am going to torture you readers by the slowness of this fic. –grins evilly- I'm gonna slap your logic with painful memories and flashbacks to make you understand why Naruto ran away that fated night. Oh…and just for the record…I'd say I'm about seventy-six percent from finishing this fic…so…it's long. –doesn't know what to make of the situation. Gah! I've never written a fic for this long!-

A line break means a shift of views from the movie to the real world. (You'll get what I mean…)

-

A single dash means scene change

Chapter 21

-

Kyuubi's Memories 1

-

_-static-_

"Huh?"

Naruto woke up, blue eyed, searching where he was located. It was a very dark place, ironically warm and homey. He was lying on a non-existent floor, his eyes curiously spying the area around him.

"Dare…dare' datte bayo?" He wondered, idly scratching the back of his head.

A small scuffling behind him alerted of a presence. Turning around, he saw no one except a handsome man dressed in the most intricate of male kimonos. His red hair idly flowed behind him, separating into nine distinct braids.

"Konbawa…Naruto-kun." He spoke in the most beautiful timbre voice a male could exert.

The blonde's eyes widened in familiarity at that voice.

"Kyuubi-kun!" He laughed, running towards him and burying himself into the taller man's chest.

"Maa…maa…such a long time too, Naruto-kun." He partook with the blonde's cheerful spirit, carrying the blonde up and swirling themselves into a whirlwind of laughs and camaraderie.

* * *

"Na, na Kyuubi-san! Where were you for the past few days? You feel a lot stronger too, eh eh?" Naruto happily took the bowl of popcorn Kyuubi conjured out of nowhere. The man only patted the blonde's head as he walked in front of the wondering boy's sight.

"Naruto-kun…do you want to watch a special show?" Kyuubi smiled gently, his lips curled in a smirk. He bent forward to meet the blonde's eye level.

"A show, Kyuubi-kun?" Naruto tilted his head in wonder, his mouth half-munching the popcorn.

"Hai, hai. Little kitsune-kun." Kyuubi bowed, and brought his hands together. Smoke issued from them, and he slowly disappeared.

"Enjoy the show, Naruto-san…" His voice whispered.

A very large screen sputtered into life at once, flooding the boy with light from static and blue flickers.

"Oh wow! A giant television! Inside my mind!" He exclaimed obnoxiously, eyeing the screen in wonder.

"Sugoi! Sugoi!" The blonde clapped in awe as the wide screen of light toned down into darkness, cheering in front of him before calming down to snag into his endless bowl of popcorn. He momentarily quieted down when numbers suddenly counted down in front of him.

_10…_

_9…_

_8…_

_7…_

_6…_

_5…_

_4…_

_3… _

The view shifted from the moon towards a small village from afar, riotous music and lights hovering like a strange mist above the houses and buildings. In one of the main streets of the village…

"**HEY, YOU LITTLE PIPSQUEAK! JUST WAIT TILL I GET MY HANDS ON YOU!"**

A blonde child turned around, his eyes wide in wonder and fear at whoever called his attention. He quickly fell down when a rock hit him dead center between his eyes. He fell, clutching the now oozing wound, the bottle containing a butterfly he caught, broken beside him, as it fell from his hand in favor of the injury.

There was no time to express hurt however, when instinct told him to take arms and run away as fast as he can.

"Get that damned kid! GET HIM!"

"How dare he show up in here, that ungrateful brat! He has no right to be here during the festival!"

_Why…_

The blonde blindly ran, the blood trying to deter his vision. It was starting to form a thick crust already, the liquid part forming crimson lines in his skin.

_Why can't I join and be just as happy as they are?_

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! Please! Just leave me alone!" He pleaded, not turning back whether to see if they were still chasing him or not. Street lamps shone his path brightly, mocking him that he deserved to be in the dark and not here.

_Leave here! Bastard child, you have no right to be here!_ The lights jeered at him.

"I'll leave! I'll leave!" He shouted to no one in particular. His tears mingled with the blood, his arms flailed endlessly in fright. He only slowed down when he felt grass cushioning his each stride, and dew wetting the toes of his feet.

He was back in the field where he caught the butterfly earlier.

He sobbed softly, staring back at the mass of lights in the village. How he wanted to be there…to enjoy the sights and sounds of the annual festival…to be in the light for at least once in his childhood…to not hide in the darkness of his apartment…

_Why am I alone…why is papa not here?_

He shivered as he sat down by a tree, attempting to ease the pain with sleep. Even the wind seemed to gang up on him. With luck, maybe he'd just keel over and die from hypothermia…

"I just wanna die…" the blonde whispered softly, tears endlessly flowing, as his crying lulled him to sleep outside in the cold field.

_I just wanna die…_

Those words slipped off the child's lips, who was but a mere six year old.

Those words, wishing for death, were uttered on the day when life started for him.

Those words, he wished for on the day of his birth.

* * *

"C'mon, oyaji! I wanna work here!"

Naruto held his hands together and knelt before the consternated chef of Ichiraku. The blonde had momentarily gone on a state of insanity to ask him if he could have a part-time job here.

"Please, please, please, please, please, please…" Naruto held his hands tighter, his mouth mumbling the same mantra again and again. The cook just sighed, before rubbing a throbbing vein on his forehead.

He sighed once more, wanting to buy time over his decision. "Can you tell me WHY you need this job again?"

"Maa…maa…I need to feel responsible. Hokage-sama and Iruka-sensei have done enough for me. But I…" Naruto swallowed that ball of spit, which would always come with revelations.

"_I…just want to feel I belong somewhere..."_

The blonde's cheerful spirit seemed to have disappeared all of a sudden.

"People don't want me to work for them…it seems like they just hate me coz' I'm Naruto. Is it because I'm too obstinate? Or maybe I'm just a bit of a loudmouth? Or…" He swallowed the thought.

"_...I'm a bastard just like they say I am…"_

The man looked thoughtfully at him, albeit sadly. He understood the blonde, the same way those two persons, Iruka-san and the Hokage, understood him. He finally relented, earning a mass of blonde on him. Naruto looked happy for the first time in his life, just so happy.

It felt like he belonged to something for the first time in his life.

Sadly, the boy had to resign after two weeks. It was willful in his part, even though the cook and his assistant protested. They partly knew the reason why, but they really did not want to feel that they rejected him.

Naruto had heard behind his back that Ichiraku was steadily losing customers…because of him. Patrons and regulars would turn a disgusted eye at him and declare the loss of their appetite. The cook didn't mind the sudden disappearance of their usuals, but Naruto cared.

"Naruto…" The cook sighed, not wanting to start an argument he knew he was going to lose.

"It's okay, oyaji…I understand they hate me…but I don't want you to be hated too. Ichiraku remains to be another home for me…and I don't wanna lose it because I'm selfish." Naruto grinned an almost painful smile, as he agonizingly removed the apron he had come to love. Behind the forced grin, he brushed off a tear that fell.

Both the cook and his assistant only hung their heads in shame, not wanting to admit that what the boy was doing is right for them.

He still smiled though, gave a pat on their backs and took up that tenacious smile once more. The cook's heart warmed on the gesture, and promised Naruto free meals on some occasions when business would boom once more. The blonde conceded, though behind his back he wanted to deny it.

After all, it was his fault that Ichiraku suffered their first business slump.

"Kyuubi?" The blonde called out to the darkness around him. Tears were bound to fall from his blue eyes any minute, his voice starting to break into different pitches, just like an adolescent would when their voices would change.

"I don't wanna watch anymore! I don't like sad stories!" The blonde spoke louder, his first tear falling down.

"Please stop this…" He pleaded, angrily wiping the tear away.

_Do you know where you are going, Naruto-kun?_

Naruto looked around, unable to know where the voice was coming from. It almost sounded like it came from his head.

_Do you know what you want?_

Naruto shook his head in innocent denial. He felt inside that he had an ambition of being Hokage, but he gently forced it away.

Then let me show you. Let me show you what made you as the way you are and what you will do. WHAT you can and must do.

Naruto numbly nodded, albeit not sure this time. Rubbing another tear, he forced himself to watch the movie once more.

The alleyway beside the market was filled with cries and the sound of leather snapping.

"Yamete! Yamete!" The blonde cried, tears jerked off everytime the whip landed on the bare of his back.

"Do.You.Think.Bastards.Learn.Enough?" The man gritted out, as he punctuated each word with a strike of the weapon at hand. Naruto's back was now mottled with drying blood and freshly made wounds.

"Kuso…I never stole your damned fruits…bas-tard…" He spoke through unheeded lashes. Each strike made his breath shallower and shallower.

The man's eyes widened at the audacity of the blonde, and brought the whip harder and harder on the back of the child. **"HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME!** And you still have the nerve to lie to me!" He grinned maniacally, finding an excuse to extend the punishment a bit longer.

"Aaaah!" The blonde arched at that last hit. "Aaaaaagh!"

The man grimaced once more. "Admit it! Just admit to your crimes, bastard child! Then maybe I'll let you off sooner." He lashed his hardest just for effect, the whip tearing a long line on the blonde's back.

"Aagh…" The blonde failed to hold back hot tears, trailing down the miniscule wounds on his cheeks. The salt on the liquid burned the blonde, who creased his face in an effort to moderate the pain. "I…did not…DO IT!"

He bit his lower lip once more. "And stop calling me a bastard child!"

The man grew a vein on his forehead, and with one resounding stroke, left the blonde kneeling on the dirty alley. His eyes leered dangerously at the boy before he left.

"You should thank me for calling you a bastard…" He spat at his side, the blonde glared at him with his one good eye.

"…I could call you worse than what you deserve. Ch…" He disappeared at the corner of the alley.

The blonde stood up, shakily, his knuckles turning white at the effort of controlling himself. The man looked almost too good to just deserve a broken back and several dislocated joints…courtesy of him.

But in the end…he just sniffed a little, eyed and grasped his riotous orange jacket that was thrown at the side, and spat his blood-tainted spit before he just walked away to tend to his wounds.

* * *

"Kuso…" Naruto clamped his jaws tight as the alcohol-soaked cotton ball lightly skimmed across his wounded back. The floor of his room was littered with red: used cotton and gauze messily dropped onto the floor.

"Ouch…" He failed to hold the searing sensation off when the fibers stuck themselves onto a scab on his back. Naruto braced himself as he tore the ball away, dragging a somewhat large piece of scar tissue with it. The blonde looked horrified and immediately dropped the material.

His eyes gazed in terror at the scab that was once stuck in the wounds on his back. He had never thought how horrible and terrifying his own blood can look like. His eyes contorted to that of hate immediately. Lovely hate…

"THAT'S IT! Tomorrow, I'm gonna show Iruka-sensei what they did to me! Hokage will punish them!" Naruto thought, banging his fist on the table.

A few more moments, he decided to lie on his stomach in the couch, favoring his back. He wanted the evidence on his back to dry well, and gave thought that he didn't want his back to get stuck on his bed if he slept on it. The couch would prevent him from uselessly turning around. He smiled weakly, thinking about justice to be delivered tomorrow…

* * *

"But…Iruka-sensei!"

The blonde slammed both of his hands in the teacher's desk. It was morning, a few more minutes before classes would start.

The boy stood shirtless before his teacher, his orange jacket clumsily shoved into the nearest table. He turned his back on the Chuunin before him, who constantly sweatdropped.

"Naruto…there is nothing on your back. Can't you understand that?" Iruka gently rebuked the blonde's claim that there were wounds (Iruka thought of the words 'festering') on his back.

"But…but…" The blonde sputtered, blindly feeling his back. "…I don't understand! I had wounds…this guy whipped me…and…and…kept calling me bastard…I…why aren't there wounds in here anymore?"

"Naruto…"

"NO! There are wounds here yesterday, and I will prove it!" Naruto was almost crying.

Iruka just sighed miserably, not wanting to indulge the blonde on another of his 'I've-been-physically-abused-before-but-where-the-hell-is-my-evidence' goose chases.

"Listen, Naruto…" Iruka tried to reason.

"NO! You listen Iruka-sensei! I've just had enough of people treating me like nothing! It's not fair for me anymore!" Naruto found strength in the anger building inside him.

"I won't let them affect me! I won't let them hurt me anymore! I won't love! I won't feel! I'll just stay as myself, and be happy even if people will hurt me!" Naruto yelled, his eyes flowing with hot tears.

"Naruto! Stop it!" Iruka yelled back, surprised at his emotions.

The blonde continued rambling, not even listening to the man he considered his friend anymore. "If I won't love, I'll never get hurt…If I won't feel, I will forget what pain is…" The blonde clutched his knuckles at his side.

"However, I will become Hokage! I'll never give up that ambition! One day…people will recognize me and know that I exist!" Naruto gazed at the floor fiercely; fighting back the sudden need to cry again.

The blonde's blue eyes widened immediately, when he felt his teacher come up to him, kneeled behind him, and gently embraced him in the most comfortable hug he ever felt…probably his first and only hug…

"That's right, Naruto…don't give up on any dream…do what you can to reach it…" Iruka whispered softly, his breath tickling Naruto's ear.

"But…don't give up on your ability to love and feel…"

"Out of the things that you would be willing to throw away…you may throw your life and your dignity if you must…but never throw your ability to love…"

"Love separates us from any other creature…only humans and those who share our trait can love so deeply…" Iruka tightened his embrace, earning a mild gasp from the blonde. Tears were slowly forming on his eyes, as memories of his parents that night flashed in his mind again.

"Love gives us wonderful things, Naruto…it gives us the ability to feel what others feel…it provides strength in the most desperate times of our lives…it gives us hope when everything is lost…it will give us light if this world should fall into darkness…"

"Do you understand…Naruto?" Iruka raised his broken voice slightly, sniffing a bit when his tears just fell down one by one. God…he hated how pathetic he can be sometimes…

Naruto nodded slightly, doubtful and unwilling.

"Good…"

The chuunin slowly walked back to his seat, his eyes carefully hidden in the shade of his hitai-ate. The bell rang all of a sudden, and all the other students came in the classroom, eyeing the half-naked Naruto curiously before settling in their seats.

I'm sorry, Iruka-sensei…but I don't want to love anymore…I can't trust to care about others…because all I can expect from the people around me is hate…

_If one day when I would need it…I'll also hate you Iruka-sensei…and on that day…I hope you'll still love me and not hate me for what I would feel towards you and everyone else…_

_Then maybe…_He fixed his eyes on the chuunin before him, cheerily greeting the other students that arrived.

_I'll understand what this 'love' is all about… _

"Sob…sob…sniff…" Naruto shivered in his seat, randomly swallowing whatever was trying to well up his throat. He was shivering, sweat running profusely across his features.

The blonde gazed at the memory before him, terrified, as if something in it was too right to be wrong…

"Why…" His eyes frantically traveled towards the sad blonde in the screen." Why do I feel that I…I know him…that child...I can somehow feel...what he's feeling..." Naruto shook even more, as if on the verge of hypothermia.

A small object suddenly caught his attention by his side. Naruto eyed it warily before grasping it with his left hand.

It was a small hand mirror, with a red and simple hand frame.

The blonde gasped, when blue eyes met with his.

And it fell.

And the boy with the innocent, sad blue eyes looking back from the mirror shattered.

And now he understood who the boy was.

And he was terrified of who he was...

And what he will become.

His attention was brought back to the wide screen before him, for the show was still far from finished...

* * *

Revised. Some few things. 


	22. Kyuubi's Memories 2

Omake' stuff: Yosh! This is the second part of Kyuubi's memories! Somehow, I feel like myself again, so I'm not gonna hate all my chapters like I usually do…Ra damnit, I just feel like my chapters are all screwed up when I read them coz they're just Ra-damned confusing, that's all.

I trimmed away the change log here. Added unnecessary space, no da. Kinda useless anyway, no da. I should stop this crazy accent before Fushigi Yuugi sues me for plagiarism too, no da. –looks around-

This is the last installment of Kyuubi's Memories, and will feature the reason why Naruto had decided to run away after all of this (the real, deep reason). I wouldn't rate it a Kleenex chapter, just because I wasn't in a Kleenex mood when I was writing this.

-

Chapter 22: Kyuubi's Memories 2

-

Iruka was just starting to call out the members of Team 7.

"Aaaand…Team 7 will be…Uzumaki Naruto…"

The blonde boy yawned, his head buried in his arms, until he noticed it was his name.

"…Haruno Sakura…"

The blond grinned immediately. "Sugoi! Yokatta datte bayo!" He raised a fist in the air, making rowdy, happy noises despite the obvious and loud groans of misery Sakura was giving out.

"…and Uchiha Sasuke." Iruka sealed the scroll for Team 7's names.

"Agh…" Naruto's jaw dropped almost in an instant, feeling as if a two-ton hammer fell on him. His cheerful façade was immediately replaced with premonitions of impending doom…or if it wouldn't be too bad…just misery. Sakura made almost perverse (for a woman) actions that signified her great joy to be teamed up with the 'supposed' man of her dreams.

"Why! Why! Why! Why do I have to get teamed up with HIM!" Naruto stood and wailed, pointing a large finger (rude at that) at the raven-haired boy that paid no heed to him.

Sakura grew a very distinct vein at once and popped the noisy blond with a knuckle on the head, satisfied to see a throbbing lump at once.

"We base the team member's groupings according to their skills and how their attitudes will affect their teamwork, Naruto. This has been done with great deliberation, so it means you can't ask for a revamp or a change in members." Iruka spoke rather knowingly, implying his boredom in answering that particular question. (He can blame it for the fact that year after year some guy would just have to complain about their members.)

"But…but…but…" The blond sputtered, still hoping that the chuunin will reconsider.

"This is official, Naruto." Iruka spoke with finality, and slammed the scroll more noisily than intended. Naruto winced at the sound, still standing up and not believing.

What luck! Just when he was starting to become a ninja, that guy that seemed to have mastered the art of being oblivious had to be in one team with him!

He would have forgiven the guy for being who he was (being a rotten, cold bastard that is), but that thought immediately went down the mental drain when the guy threw a smug smirk at him.

Cold, rotten bastards…Naruto can live with them. But _smug, _cold, rotten bastards…THAT he cannot accept! Fighting a certain urge to stab the Uchiha's pretty boy face with a chopstick (a very, _very_ blunt chopstick…and probably spoon out an eye in the process), Naruto settled to just gritting his teeth at him, clenching his knuckles tighter than before.

Which was probably the reason he didn't notice most of his classmates watching him intently.

What guy can get angry _and_ blush fiercely at the same time?

* * *

_-sound of birds cawing- _

"Kuso…"

A lone pebble was kicked into oblivion (and probably land on some hapless guy's head).

"Kuso…"

"GAAH! I hate him! Damnit, I hate him! HATE! HATE! HATE!" Naruto snarled, flailing his arms wildly as he stomped along the street. A very deep, and dangerous female voice came from behind him.

A large, oversized paper fan immediately fell on the blond's head, making Naruto squat and whine out in pain.

"Itai! Ah, ah, ah, ah!" Naruto clutched his head, squinting his eyes in pain. He turned towards his back, his eyes still squinted, and looked imploringly at the kunoichi that still held the fan in her hand, and her fangs brandished menacingly at him.

"Nande, Sakura-chan?" Naruto whined, turning puppy-dog-eyed all of a sudden, makeshift tears streaming endlessly down his whiskered cheeks.

"For one, **NARUTO**, stop acting like an asshole that you are. as if you don't have company with you! It's bad enough being teamed up with an idiot like you (she swore loudly at that…) and now I have to contend my time learning something from whoever is our teacher tomorrow and dealing with an idiot like you!" A vein popped on her overly wide forehead at once.

"Two!" She held out a peace sign. "It's not only me that has to contend with you, but also Sasuke-kun! Don't you dare become annoying or I'll see to your early burial!" She immediately snarled another row of heavily fanged teeth. (Naruto had the niggling suspicion that they were sharpened just for this occasion)

"Three!" She held out three fingers. "If it wasn't for Sasuke-kun, I would not contend with this team. So don't go around feeling special that just because we are teamed with you is because we don't have much choice! Ya' hear me!" She let out another manly snarl, Naruto twitching uncomfortably on his ass, and Sasuke just sweat dropped mildly beside her. Naruto lost all sudden love for her.

Sakura let out a snarl as her house came nearer. Turning towards Sasuke (all effects of her demon-mode gone in an instant), Sakura became angelic and gave him her most adoring look.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun!" She giggled for effect (thankfully she hadn't noticed Sasuke and Naruto rolling their eyes at her), before giving a besotted wave of her arms to Sasuke (and a deadly snarl at Naruto) and went inside her house.

Naruto sat up from his former position, dusting his clothes lightly, and proceeded to walk again, surprising the brunette in silence. Sasuke observed with mild interest before following, the Uchiha manor a few more blocks from where they were.

"Now's the perfect chance for retaliation…" Sasuke's eye twitched a bit as it replayed the scene that occurred earlier. Naruto had unwillingly trapped him in a kiss he unsolicitingly received.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

Silence.

"Ch…" The brunette scowled.

Naruto's head lazily turned towards the source of the sound, his lips set in thin, idle frown, his eyes contorted at an indolent angle towards the Uchiha. Gruffing a short grumble in retaliation to the sound, he resumed walking all at once, as if the Uchiha never existed or mattered towards him.

Sasuke's eyes perked up a bit as the blonde suddenly turned way towards the Ichiraku, a shop he hadn't much given thought during his whole time in the village. The blonde had disappeared behind the meager curtain that blocked the view from the inside of the small shop and sat in the farthest left.

After assessing that the small restaurant (he actually took the time to run his eyes from below and above the structure) was deemed sanitary for an Uchiha, he swept a tarpaulin up with one hand and sat at the farthest corner away from Naruto. The blonde just quirked a weird look at him, a noodle still hanging from a corner of his lips.

"Just what the hell are you doing here?" Naruto contorted his face into that of irritation. He placed his free hand on his hips for emphasis, his chin up in an instant pout.

"This is a stall, usuratonkachi. And as far as you're concerned, you don't own it." He answered drolly, glancing at the menu before him.

"That's not what I meant, moron." Naruto appeared flustered once more. Sasuke had the ghost of a smile tugging at the side of his lips. "Why would the great Uchiha spend his early dinner at a lowly restaurant like here?"

Before Sasuke could have a chance to retaliate, the chef had beaten him into the blond, bouncing a metal pan off the said boy's head. Naruto winced in pain, and jokingly tried to retract his words. The chef began threatening that his free meals would be over if he continued like this with his customers.

Sasuke, being the guy that he is, patiently waited for the two to stop bickering. (Patient, as in making loud, tapping noises that were sure to distract any person nearby) Naruto turned to him, about to tell the boy to shut with the tapping when the cook shoved another metal pan on the blonde's face, effectively muffling the protests the blonde was making. He immediately took Sasuke's order (surprise, surprise! Onigiri!) and was immediately set to serve. Naruto glared daggers at the older man before throwing the offending pan at him, who deftly caught the said object before it did damage…or was dealt damage.

"S'okay, now answer me damnit." Naruto turned his face to Sasuke once more.

Sasuke turned a disinterested, guiltless look towards him.

"About what?" He oh-so-innocently asked back, his voice laced with a tone of mock interest.

Naruto rolled his eyes, catching on with the tone. He turned towards his slightly cool broth, deciding to chug it down before it got way too much cooler than it was.

Sasuke turned a deaf ear at him as his order came. He held a somewhat glazed look at the rice balls in front of him, before mentally shaking himself out of his stupor to eat them. Naruto glanced at the small show the boy gave, muttered something between the lines of 'moron' and 'mental', thanked the old man for his meal and went away to go back to his apartment.

The brunette abruptly finished his meal, downing the last three rice balls in one go, chugged the hot tea, paid for his meal and immediately followed the blonde behind, making it look like as if he wasn't stalking him.

_Well, that was fast…_Naruto's eyes took a quick glance behind him, confirming that indeed, Sasuke was on his tracks once more. He sighed to nothing, pressed his finger on his forehead as if contemplating, and dug his hands on his pocket when he didn't know what to do. First time that somebody from Konoha, other than Iruka, gave some shit about him. And it had to be Pretty Boy Uchiha to do it.

Sighing in imminent surrender, Naruto sighed a bit loudly (though not intentionally to let the Uchiha bastard hear) before diverting his path towards the thicker part of the village, where there were no houses and nothing but trees surrounded the area.

This was a 'regular' for Naruto to do, swerving away from the population of Konoha to the sanctuary of the trees so that nobody would _hear,_ nobody would _notice_ him.

Sasuke briefly wondered where Naruto was going, noting that this wasn't near any residential area. A brief thought flashed on his head that the blonde was a jungle person or something, and Sasuke had to lightly punch his head when a scantily clad Naruto (with nothing but a leopard loincloth on his…cough…cough…) who was swinging on tree vines played inside his mind.

His eyes fell back on the real thing, who was now walking towards a wide, open field.

The moon gave an eerie glow to the landscape, the harsh winds blowing not-so-gently at them. Sasuke had the tiniest of thoughts that Naruto **WAS NOT** intending on going to his house or apartment.

Almost immediately, the blonde stopped walking, having reached a very queer looking boulder. Naruto immediately plopped down, sitting in an old Indian fashion. Sasuke came nearer, stealthily, albeit knowing that the blonde knew he was there. He was a few good feet near the blonde who was turning his back on him.

"What the hell is the moron up to?" Sasuke murmured softly, intrigued by this strange behavior.

Naruto gently stretched his legs, propping his arms back. The wind blew softly, the moonlight throwing a weird glow on the field. Everything seemed almost ethereal.

"Sasuke…"

The Uchiha perked up, noticing his name. He frowned, finding the gentleness on the brash blond's voice a bit unnerving for his own good.

"Do you like it?"

Naruto turned towards the surprised Sasuke, his blue eyes heightened by the sad glow of the moon. It almost seemed to see his blue orbs glinting longingly towards him.

"Is this another trick of yours, Uzumaki?" Sasuke frowned, finding the unusual behavior suspicious. If it was, the blond really knew how to act well.

Naruto gently shook his head, his hair flailing in the slowly, growing wind. A few leaves flew by, the grassland moving in accord with the wind as if water did in an ocean.

"I brought you here…away from those people…to say I'm sorry about what happened earlier…" Naruto turned his back, gazing softly at the boulder.

Sasuke hardened at once, a tingle of confusion running down his spine.

"Ch…I'm leaving." He turned his back at once, his features dimmed in his own disorientation. Naruto smirked softly.

"Fine."

Sasuke shook up, slowly turning around towards the blonde again. Did he hear exactly what the blonde said? Was he that nonchalant as he was by day?

He stood still, trying to observe the lonely blond by the moonlight, whose hair flew wildly in the wind, and whose face gazed towards the blue moon. The cords of his jacket whipped wildly, making flapping noises in the whole area.

For the first time, Sasuke was somehow entranced at what he was seeing.

"Didn't you want to leave already?" Naruto turned towards him.

Sasuke shook up, a red tint on his cheeks. _Shit! This is not happening! Not happening!_

"You brought me here for nothing, and allow me to leave just like that? Are you insulting me?" He replied, hoping he added the necessary dose of sarcasm and spite.

The blonde curled up, hugging his knees in a possessive manner. Turning his attention towards the raven-haired boy, a ghost of a smile flitted before his face.

"Sit beside me then, if it's not too much to ask…" Naruto offered a smile, before turning back towards the moon, basking in the soft glow.

Sasuke decided to humor his new teammate at least for tonight. The wind seems indeed inviting, and the stars and the moon provided a nice glow. The place was more appealing than the stuffy insides of the Uchiha Manor.

"I like it here. Did you know that?" Naruto turned towards his new companion that night.

"Do I care?" Sasuke huffed a bit.

Naruto frowned a bit, not taking the rejection of his offer to start a civil conversation lightly. He sighed, and attempted once more.

"You seem stressed out, want me to loosen your muscles up a bit?" He smiled gaily, reaching out towards the shoulder of the Uchiha.

"Take your hands off ME!" Sasuke growled, swatting Naruto's outstretched hand away. The slap resounded in the grassland, the wind had died down a few seconds ago.

Moments seemed to freeze; anxiety was thick between the two. Sasuke was still gritting his teeth, and Naruto's jaw hung in utter disbelief and comprehension.

Only the sound of cicadas and the disturbance of their nightly serenades hung in the air.

"I'm sorry again…"

Sasuke glanced in disbelief at the blonde, who was now massaging his reddening wrist. His eyes reflected of rejection and sadness.

"I just don't understand how to make friends…Iruka-sensei said it would be easy…but I guess not."

The Uchiha glanced at his hand, his fingers reddening at where they made contact with Naruto's. Rubbing it as well, he settled for curling up as well, the cold was starting to seep in.

"You want…to be friends with me?"

Naruto turned his head towards him in an instant, a look of surprise and hope suddenly showing. Sasuke's face lightened considerably, finding a moment of pleasure staring at that face.

"Why should you want to be one with me?" His mouth blurted out, as if by auto-mechanism. Sasuke just had enough time to cover his mouth and excuse his rudeness.

There was a look of contemplation on the blonde, who softly answered. "You seem likable enough…when you're not acting like a cold-hearted bastard you usually wear."

Sasuke grunted at that. "And you seem amiable enough if you stop acting so obnoxious and damn loud."

Naruto grinned. "Hey, we have our own masks to wear…don't tell me you're not wearing one."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at what he could tell was the first time Naruto had spoken in metaphors. "I don't wear a mask, why should I hide my handsome face from all the girls to see?"

"Heh, see what I'm telling? You're just as narcissistic as I am." Naruto attempted a smile, hoping that his second attempt at friendship wouldn't be shot down.

"Maybe I am." Sasuke offered, trying to continue his joke further. "You should see me when I'm in front of the mirror."

Sasuke turned towards Naruto, who failed to stick a smartass comment at that. Maybe because he is too busy fighting that dangerous blush that threatened to cover his face…

"You're a funny kind of guy when you want to be one, Sasuke." Naruto coughed out, attempting to drown his embarrassment.

"And you can be sentimental if you also want to be Uzumaki." Sasuke pointed out.

"So why not this Sasuke everyday? Why the broody, cold, and mysterious kind of person when you're around Konoha?" Naruto asked, wanting to know.

"I'll ask you the same question. Why the obnoxious, loud and hyper ninja when you're around people?" Sasuke countered.

Naruto grinned his vulpine grin once more, knowing what to answer to that particular question. Iruka had mentioned it once, and this had given him the opportunity to think up of the appropriate answer.

"To protect myself."

Sasuke wondered at that.

"To protect myself from people all around me. To protect me from the hurt and rejection that I encounter everyday around that village. To believe that I'm not hurting, even if it does, until it feels as if the pain isn't there anymore."

The brunette consolingly gazed at the blonde, smiling and seeming happy for the moment. Yet deep inside, he knew that Naruto was hurting.

Because he was also hurting, wasn't he?

Whereas the blond decided to hide in a smile of masks to protect himself from people around him, people that are hurting him; Sasuke hid in his own mask of dispassion, to protect himself from receiving unnecessary attention and unwanted pity.

Because if he wanted to be strong, he had to have no emotions, right?

Isn't that what his brother said to him? To run away, struggle, and hate him everyday of his life?

And then one day, in that fateful day, his brother's blood would flow from his hands and wash into the wet earth, and pacify the cry of souls pleading for justice.

"Sasuke?"

"Huh?"

Sasuke turned towards the worried blond, who was gazing at him with anxious eyes.

"I thought your eyes turned red…it's nothing."

Sasuke felt his heart pound in an instant, beating faster and faster. _Could it be him? Is Naruto the person to bring what I have been wanting my whole life?_

Sasuke raised his fingers upon the lids of his eyes, and gently massaged them. Opening them once more, they shone with a different kind of glow this time, tear-moistened orbs heightened by the moon's ethereal glow.

He realized it wasn't only the moon and the stars glowing in the area.

* * *

Fireflies started to float in the air.

There was certain innocence in Naruto's features in that lone moment, as the fireflies converged around them, something akin to small stars that revolved and flew around him and Naruto.

A firefly landed on Naruto's hand, one of the brightest of the swarm. Naruto brought it closer to his face, marveling at its sublime light.

"Do you also get hurt, Sasuke-kun?" Naruto spoke once more, his sudden reply sending the firefly flying back towards his group.

"Do you also know how it feels to cry, and have no one to turn to? Or when you graze your knee when you fall down, and no one is there to put a bandage on your wound, and tell you that it won't hurt soon?" Naruto gazed longingly at the insect, wishing he could also fly away from all he fears.

"Yes…I do…"

Naruto turned towards him, surprise in his eyes. _So we have something in common after all._

"I'm an orphan too…and…" Sasuke halted, feeling unsure to go on and tell his story. Sure, they were just the same, but he didn't need pity. Fuck, why did he even stay in here? Did he want the blond's consolation for his situation? Was he that easy to swerve away from his life's goal of revenge against the man that ruined his life?

Naruto noticed the hesitation playing around the other boy's face. Smiling softly, he leaned on his shoulder, his eyes half-lidded.

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it…I understand. We have our own masks to protect…" He sighed, slowly standing up.

Sasuke had thought that the blond was preparing to leave, but he was a bit surprised when he found two legs facing him, and a hand outstretched towards him.

"Even just for each night, when no one else sees us, and knows what we have talked about…can we be friends, Sasuke?" Naruto reached his hand out towards him.

There was a bit of disbelief in the Uchiha for a few seconds, before a smug smile graced his features. Taking the hand, he slowly stood up, his eyes locked at the blond.

"Yes…just for each night…we'll be friends." Sasuke nodded.

Naruto grinned his usual, obnoxious grin.

"And rivals?"

Sasuke smiled ferally, and gently knocked the side of Naruto's head.

"And rivals, dobe."

The blond stuck his tongue out, and both boys began their short hike back towards the village, their paths separated at the crossing towards their respective houses.

Naruto had found his home at that field each, and only each, night there.

"Hoooooohuum..." Sasuke yawned, apparently fatigued over the book he nonchalantly stole from the Godaime. It had been a few good days since he started to pour his attention over the book.

His reading glasses were strewn lazily on his nose, dark regions were slowly forming on the corners on his eyes. Much as it would have been amusing to find himself obsessing over a book, he had no time to muse over the thought.

He had been reading the book for some few days now, locking himself inside the Uchiha Manor for some peace and quiet. Kakashi agreed to cover for him on his absence (it would be too much for Naruto now gone, and then the Uchiha prodigy would be too...the village might not take that lightly.)

A table lamp lit beside his reading area, Sasuke confirmed that it was night already outside. He allowed a moment's rest for his eyes, dark orbs silently surveying the village he and grown up in.

So many memories, he thought. Painful...but memories still. And memories he wasn't willing to lose. Not if it revolved around the person he had come to care about.

Sighing effectively to dismiss the sleepy feeling he had, Sasuke returned to his table to resume his study. It was boring inside the manor, but he had found time and company in himself even when he was still a child.

There were a few times when he felt that he was being observed, but of course, no one had the gall to trespass the Uchiha Manor, one mistake like that and they would find themselves in an instant world of pain.

But it was just this one night when he knew something was bound to happen, something out of the norm.

* * *

The raven-haired boy had decided to walk down to the kitchens to have a glass of water, finding his throat parched from so much reading.

A sudden flash of red and a sound resembling of a tail swept on the corridor.

His eyes darted towards the flash, taking in an almost cautious stance at once. He opened a door that led to the pond.

Lo, and a man with unmistakable crimson hair in nine tail-like fashion, kitsune ears and whisker scars on his face was sitting serenely on the water. The water remained undisturbed despite his constant twiddling.

"Who are you…" Sasuke finally managed to speak out.

The man turned around, as if not perceiving Sasuke at first. Smiling sensually, he replied.

"Kitsune...Naruto no Kitsune..."

Sasuke crouched to a defensive position instantly, finding the pleasant air of the man-fox before him intimidating. He glared at the yokai insolently, before what the creature said sunk into him.

"Naruto…you're the Kyuubi!" Sasuke gritted his teeth, finding himself in an uncomfortable position before a legendary beast.

"The one and only…" Kyuubi shook his head airily, flailing his nine distinctly, parted red hair. Sasuke tensed almost two times than he was earlier.

Kyuubi glanced mischievously at the brunette, and he sat up from his position, walking towards the Uchiha. Sasuke found himself unable to move, paralyzed out of unable to read what the Kitsune was going to do…or want…

"Relax silly!" Kyuubi wanly chuckled, waving a small white flag he conjured out of thin air. "I come under the banner of surrender and peace."

"Let's talk for a little while…" He grinned baring his fangs.

Sasuke could do no less than reject the offer.

* * *

If you guys are wondering when Chapter 23 is coming out, it'll be in a few days. I spent most of the time re-reading and editing the story. I'm sorry. Come back in a few days (about two or so)

REVISED CHAPTER!

Please review! I just found out that for each reader that does not review, a kitten dies! **Save the kittens!**


	23. Kyuubi's Memories 3

Omake' stuff: Removed the change log for this chapter too. Bam! Revamp explodes in everybody's face.

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Chapter 23: Kyuubi's Memories 3

-

"Sasuke…so…that was Sasuke…" Naruto watched with tear-stained eyes at the scene unfolding before him.

Sasuke of Konoha! Naruto now knew why he felt surprisingly comforted when he was around the raven-haired boy for that brief encounter a few days back. He has a memory of him! A memory of Sasuke!

"We were happy together…so why…"

Naruto swallowed his emotions welling up his throat.

"Why am I not there with him?"

* * *

_(May 23, XXXX)_

_(Hidden Sand: Fourth Chuunin exams, the exams subsequent to the Sand-Sound invasion)_

"Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Shadow Clone Technique!)

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!)

A few of the clones were burned away, flung off from the great fireball that exploded before the Uchiha. Sasuke immediately halted his jutsu just in time to block a series of well-placed kicks from the remaining clones that survived the attacks.

"Give it up, Sasuke-kun." Naruto taunted, delivering a heavy blow himself upon Sasuke, who promptly caught it with one hand. "I'm gonna pummel you good this time!"

Sasuke smirked inwardly, and swung the blonde away, throwing him up in the air. With well-delivered Taijutsu kicks (he obviously copied off from Lee), he destroyed the remaining clones attempting to stall him and jumped towards the descending blond.

"Hah!" Naruto blocked an inward kick that Sasuke directed towards his gut. Sasuke smirked evilly, before sending his other leg straight towards Naruto's face. The blond only managed to realize his mistake when the leg connected, sending him sprawling down towards the floor, destroying that portion of the arena.

"Nani…" Sasuke gasped.

The brunette failed to hold his surprise when the cloud of dust below him exploded, the blond having catapulted himself in a blinding speed towards the descending Uchiha. His fist connected with Sasuke's face almost in an instant, sending both of them hurtling into the ground.

"Kuso…" Sasuke wiped off the blood that began leaking off his lip."…didn't know you're that resilient, dobe."

Naruto grinned somewhat, wiping off his own blood from a wound under his right eye." I won't lose. Not to you, Sasuke-bastard."

Both boys had begun to charge towards the other again, fists flying towards the other when the chuunin officer raised a flag.

"End of battle!"

"What!" Sasuke and Naruto turned towards the councilman. Once again, for three consecutive years, it was always the two of them who managed to reach the final match of the third test for the Chuunin exams.

Sasuke spat a goodly amount of blood-tinted spit towards his side, while Naruto tended to his broken arm, straightening them out casually. By and by, the councilman came back with the result of the match and the genins who passed and were qualified to become chuunins.

"blah blah blah, blahh, blah, blah…and Uchiha Sasuke." The man closed the scroll, while everyone in the arena boisterously clapped, thunderous roars emanating from the sides.

"Not again…" Sasuke shook his head, burying his face in one hand.

"What! Hey…but…what about me!" Naruto pointed at himself, panic in his face and flailing his arms helplessly at his side. Sasuke frowned at the man, who opened the scroll and reread the whole list before closing it once more.

"My apologies, Leaf genin, but your name does not appear on the scroll." He spoke impassively at the blond. Naruto's lips quivered at the disappointment, wanting to say something but held himself back.

"This is bullshit. Let's just go home, Naruto." Sasuke turned his back at once, Naruto fixating his gaze at him as if he just grew an extra head.

"Hey! What about the recognition ceremonies?" The councilman called towards him.

"Count me out! I'm not joining any stupid ceremony…again!" Sasuke called back, walking out of the door.

* * *

"What just happened in there?" Naruto thumbed towards the arena, following the stoic blonde walking down the street.

"Not used to it?" Sasuke drolled out.

"You promised you'd become Chuunin this year!" Naruto pouted.

"And I made an _earlier_ promise that I won't unless you also become one." Sasuke turned around to face him.

"But…that's just wrong!" Naruto piped up.

"Wrong?" Sasuke came closer, sizing up the blond. "I'll tell you what's wrong, Naruto. THAT!" Sasuke heatedly pointed at the building they just came out." THAT is what comprises the whole word WRONG!"

"It happens almost every exam, it's whether I win or lose against you, I always get to pass and become a chuunin, and you get left behind! I feel like it doesn't matter anymore even if I pass or not, but they seem to make it a hurry of making me a chuunin just because I'm an Uchiha!" Sasuke ranted.

"But, this is different! You deserve to pass, so why reject it!" Naruto asked, although not intentionally being pathetic at the moment..

Sasuke glanced at him wearily, his eyes wandering the scraggly appearance of Naruto's battered form. In his eyes…Sasuke could see the sincerity of Naruto wanting the brunet to become a chuunin.

"The same why I would ask you…don't you think you deserve to pass also?"

Naruto stuttered, surprised at that question.

"You still believe that you're being a village reject has something to do with the partiality happening in each test?" Sasuke glanced at him, searching for answers the blond might be hiding.

Naruto shied away, staring at the Uchiha's feet.

"And I believe that my being Uchiha just makes me more 'desirable' a candidate for being a chuunin. Gods, ever since that time Orochimaru came up and attacked Konoha, they seemed to be more eager of promoting me up!" Sasuke spat another blood-stained spit on the sidewalk.

Naruto just stared at him, as the Uchiha habitually ran his fingers on his curse seal.

"You should have won…you could have. If you didn't divide your concentration on your curse seal and me…I had an advantage on you…" Naruto spoke softly.

"Naruto…" Sasuke growled every time the blond talked about the seal."…for the last time, this seal hasn't acted up on me anymore. I don't even mind it anymore…it feels it isn't even there…"

Sasuke gazed quietly at the boy.

"All because of you…"

Both had reached a thick forest, apparently both having been too absorbed in their conversation. Sasuke noticed the subtle environment, thanking whoever granted him the opportunity for some privacy with the blond.

"Nani?" Naruto turned towards him, surprise in his eyes. "Nande, datte bayou?"

"Why?" Sasuke gently laughed, the melody surprising and calm. Noticing a boulder nearby, he motioned for Naruto to sit with him. Both spent a few minutes of silence before Sasuke broke the ice.

"You know…that I always wanted to kill my brother, right? I thought…that by just becoming strong and obtaining the final form of my Sharingan, then I would be able enough to defeat him…"

Sasuke looked away.

"I thought I was ready…I thought I could beat him this time…with all the training and practice and harsh combat I had went through…I thought that I'd be a match for him…"

His knuckles tightened.

"Until he threw me off like I was just some…_pest_…something that was only there to irritate him…a nuisance if nothing else…"

"And then…"

Sasuke gazed at Naruto with great curiosity. As if he was something new to him.

"I looked at you."

Naruto raised his eyebrow. "Me? What's wrong with me?"

"Nothing's wrong, dobe. It's just that…I realize something. The Kyuubi living inside you…you had to contend with it ever since you were born. How could you even be in par with me? Look who has the advantage now." Sasuke pointed out, gazing intently at Naruto's stomach.

Naruto rubbed it morosely as well. "I never thought about it…"

"Big surprise if you did…" Sasuke pointed out.

"Shut up! I'm trying to work with you here." Naruto pouted. "But seriously, I never did think about it at all. I just…once you get used to it, it doesn't even seem to be there anymore."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow at what he said.

"Frankly, I never thought of Kyuubi as a disadvantage of any sort. It's the seal that's been bothering me. It hurts Kyuubi just as it does to me. I don't think Kyuubi is evil…he's just misunderstood." Naruto crossed his fingers, gazing on the ground.

"Well, it would be nice talking about a spirit living in your stomach, but I'm talking about Uzumaki Naruto here and not the kitsune…" Sasuke got cut off when a flurry of blond hair assaulted him.

"Oh hey…"

Naruto buried his head on Sasuke's shirt ("It smells nice despite the battle we just had…" Naruto thought), his tears staining the blue cloth. The blond grew quiet, somehow savoring the moment.

Sasuke not knowing what to do in this sort of situation predictably blushed.

A few more moments, and the dam broke loose. The blond just started crying all in an instant, his grip tightening on Sasuke. The brunette shivered, now really clueless how to calm the hyped-up blond.

"Oi…Naruto…" Sasuke affectionately scolded the huddled mass before him, slowly (but not too forcefully) pushing the blond away. Seeing something close on that novel he read once, he tried to soothingly rub the boy's back, hoping that this would calm him down.

Naruto finally recovered from his impromptu crying, wiping off the salty liquid away with his sleeve. Staring at the surprised Uchiha with tear-stained eyes, Naruto smiled wildly and hugged the brunette for all the care in the world.

_Why is he doing this?_ Sasuke stiffed, with strained eyes, as he realized that Naruto was hugging him. Ironically, he didn't want to push the blond away.

"You're much more of a baka than I thought you are…Sasuke-bastard…" Naruto whispered in his ear.

"What do you mean, dobe?" Sasuke squeaked somewhat, as Naruto nuzzled in his shoulder.

"Didn't you notice? When I was still the class dropout? When I almost failed to graduate? And then, when we became teammates? What happened at the survival training? At the Land of Waves? With Zabuza and Haku? The first Chuunin exams? All that followed doesn't matter…but do you see something in all that I said?" Naruto backed off to give the Uchiha room, and to gaze at the brunette's confused eyes.

"Ever since that night, that night when we became friends…you left inside me a void that I thought would never happen. When you made me realize being Hokage just to let people realize I exist doesn't matter anymore."

"I wanted to be the friend you want me to be. Not a dropout or a slacker…but someone who can compete with you and hold a steady ground. I worked hard, trained and sacrificed my time to improve myself, hoping I could show you something new…something you can be proud of." Naruto's eyes shone with unwavering hope. Sasuke found it hard not to smile back.

"I wanted Sasuke to be proud he has a friend like me…" Naruto grinned, a bit shamed at all that he said.

Sasuke felt something new in his chest, something unexplainable. Something…something he thought he would feel for the first time.

He felt pride for Naruto…because he never felt pride for himself. Being number one was required of him, but for someone like Naruto…Sasuke felt compelled to show that his Naruto was what he is today because of him.

_His Naruto?_

Sasuke's eyes slid below the fringe of his hair.

"I feel awful…" Sasuke whispered. This time he was the one who brought Naruto into his own brand of hugging. The Uchiha possessively enclosed the blond to bury his head on his chest.

"Because everytime we fight, I always see Itachi's face in you. I don't see you, much as you think I recognize you, Naruto." Sasuke tightened his grip.

"I'm so sorry…" Sasuke apologized for the first time.

Naruto shivered at those words. _It can't be!_

_Sasuke…I thought you recognized me Sasuke…me! Naruto!_

_You're no different! You're just like those people in Konoha! You see me as something you hate! Whereas they see the Kyuubi in me, you see Itachi! You're fucked-up brother!_

_I thought you'd be different Sasuke…you'd be different just like Iruka-sensei._

_I gave my best to be like you! That one day, you might accept me for the things that I might say, and that you won't turn me down! But you see me nothing more…but as an imaginary Itachi training dummy!_

_You made me a dummy, Sasuke! And I'm a dummy for believing that you at least cared as a friend!_

Naruto's eyes flowed with tears, his resentment, disappointment and anger burning inside him.

"But…you know what? I finally see…" Sasuke shook up, sensing the blond crying beneath him.

"LET ME GO!" The blond howled, Sasuke gasped in surprise when the blond disappeared only to be replaced by a log. _Kawarimi no Jutsu!_

Sasuke immediately activated his Sharingan to detect the retreating blond's form, but to his surprise, he could not detect any of it.

"NARUTO! COME BACK! IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" He screamed, hoping futilely that at least, the blond would have the heart of facing him once more.

* * *

_(May 26, XXXX)_

Naruto had spent the last three days traveling from Sunagakure to Konoha, running tirelessly across desert and forests.

He wanted to get away from the illusion of it all, and the only one he knew that dispelled those nightmares was none other than Iruka-sensei.

The blond had returned back to his apartment, resting only for a few moments before heading towards the shower. After dressing up in a more casual attire (a white tee and jeans) he sped off towards Iruka's apartment.

"Iruka-sensei!" Naruto obnoxiously knocked at his teacher's door. "Oi! Are you there, Iruka-sensei!"

After a few minutes of silence (and slipping through a half-open window), Naruto found out that there was no one inside. Muttering a soft curse, he walked away and decided to pass by the Genin academy, hoping to play on the wooden swing where he spent most of his idle time.

"…" Naruto sighed, cradling the orange paper-wrapped gift on his lap, as he swung slowly, the rope creaking on the branch. "I wanted to surprise him earlier, I just hope he didn't forget that today is his birthday…"

Swing high, swing low…

_That's the way we always go…_

_Swing high, swing low…_

_That's the only way we know…_

Naruto hummed the familiar tune, synchronizing with the familial squeak of the rope. He was almost lost in his thoughts when a voice shook him up…

"Oi, Naruto!" A female voice called towards him. Naruto's somber mood was easily pushed away.

"Tsunade-baa-chan! How are ya?" Naruto called out, grinning more obnoxiously. Tsunade gritted her teeth, as a large pulsing vein appeared on her head.

After strangling the blond half-dead with her legendary grip, the Hokage merely sighed, knowing that it would have no effect on the impervious boy. (Impervious or extremely dull…Tsunade idly thought

"So, how did the Chuunin exams go in Sunagakure this year?" Tsunade asked the grinning blond. She narrowly missed the surprised look on the blond, before it returned to his insufferable grin.

"Ah, me and Sasuke got to the finals as usual…" Naruto casually waved his hand, as if to dispel the whole conversation. Tsunade creased her eyebrows at that.

"They failed you again, didn't they?" Tsunade cracked her knuckles, her consternation apparent. Naruto twitched at what he knew she was planning to do about it.

"Aw forget it, baa-chan. I can always try for next year."

"It's a personal insult to me." Tsunade growled. "I lost my necklace to a person like you and then they'd not even let you pass! It's like they're mocking me that I lost to a chuunin reject!"

"Which you are not, by the way!" Tsunade pointed at him, clarifying her statements before it made sense to the blond.

Naruto merely nodded, before his eyes lit up at the Hokage.

"Na, na. Have you seen Iruka-sensei, Tsunade baa-chan?" Naruto stood up from the swing.

"Iruka?" Tsunade rubbed her temples. "I think he went for the forest just this afternoon, why?"

Naruto hugged her with glee, before taking off towards the gates of Konoha.

"It's his birthday today! I want to give this to him before the day ends! Arigato, baa-chan!" Naruto waved a salute at her as he jumped from rooftop to rooftop.

"Che! When I get my hands on you, Naruto!" Tsunade snorted, tearing a boulder from the ground and grinding it to dust with her bare hands. She stomped away, the blond twitched severely and sweat dropped.

"Mental note…" Naruto thought to himself. "Do not show face to Tsunade baa-chan for another fifty-years". And as an added precaution of not forgetting, he imagined his mangled form if he ever became careless around the Hokage again.

* * *

"How did you even get here, old fox?"

Sasuke eyed the man-fox suspiciously. Both sat down in an occasion for tea (even though it was three in the morning, and the guest was uninvited).

Kyuubi looked up from his teacup, amused with the way the Uchiha was fidgeting and acting tense around him. _So much for being stoic and the cold bastard he was around Naruto all those years_…Kyuubi mused to himself.

"Really now, after those many weeks, that is the first question you ask of me?" Kyuubi made a small 'ch' sound before setting down the cup delicately.

"Since you ask of me, I might as well answer. I had retrieved the one thing Yondaime took away from me…"

"Which was?" Sasuke narrowed his eyes.

Kyuubi pushed his cup towards the boy. "My _hoshi no tama._ If I had it at that, even the man's seal wouldn't have had any effect on me."

"That doesn't answer my question." Sasuke gritted, a bit more annoyed than tense this time. He silently filled the empty cup with tea once more.

"Oh, good. You're relaxed now." Kyuubi pushed a few of his hair away from his face, before setting his eyes again on him.

"I have my _hoshi no tama_, yes. But…with the circumstances around, the best I can still do is just hold this physical manifestation for so long." Kyuubi pouted.

Sasuke snickered at the fox. "So that means you can't go on destroying villages, and you're still tied to Naruto. You're not as omnipotent as you were a few years ago."

"Shut up!" Kyuubi pouted. "You should try being stuck inside a human body. I almost died of boredom. Plus, that blond has a knack of getting himself into trouble which means I always have to storm in and heal him before he dies."

"This is better than nothing. At least I get to see the air, the mountains, the trees…" Kyuubi ranted on.

"Cut to the chase." Sasuke narrowed his eyes on him. "Why are you here? And why are you even talking to me?"

Kyuubi lost his innocent demeanor and returned to the yokai that he was. "Ah, but of course, what is the best interest for Naruto is also my best interest…"

Sasuke almost forgot that Kyuubi was indirectly related to Naruto. His eyes widened at the sudden realization.

"Naruto! How…how is he! Where is he now? Is he well? Why did he attack us? Did Orochimaru do something to him? Why is…"

"Hey! Hey!" Kyuubi stuck his fingers on his ear. "Mind my sensitive fox ears. Naruto is fine, as I can tell…seems to be enjoying himself pretty much under Orochimaru…" He snickered, earning a growl from Sasuke.

"What do you mean _enjoying himself under Orochimaru…_" Sasuke highlighted the specific words with hidden undertones.

"What are you complaining about? You didn't want to screw him, so why are you complaining?" Kyuubi drank his tea once more.

"Perverse creature! You are far worse than Kakashi-sensei or that Ero-sennin…" Sasuke accusingly pointed a finger at the man-fox.

"I'm just saying as it is. If you didn't refuse my Jinchuuriki (1), none of this would have happened…Naruto would have been probably sleeping in your bed right now, after a whole lot of bonking with you…" Kyuubi predictably covered his ears as Sasuke shouted at him in close range.

"I DIDN'T SAY I DIDN'T WANT TO (censored) HIM! He was being the stupid blond that he is! I didn't say that I did not like him! I never said that! But he was being too irrational with the situation and what people might think around us!" Sasuke defended himself.

"So you admit to being gay?" Kyuubi pointed out.

"I don't give a damn about any fucking terminology! I love him and him only! I don't want any other girl or boy, I just want Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto! My teammate and my only friend! No one else! Got that!" Sasuke scolded the sweat dropping kitsune.

"Alright! Geez!" Kyuubi raised his hands in surrender. "But what about that time that you said…"

"_Psst, Sasuke…" Kiba slowed him down a bit. Sasuke turned to Kiba, noticing that they were passing through the practice area._

"_So, what will you do about it?" Kiba spoke, concern outlining his voice._

"_About what?" Sasuke decided to be thick-headed._

"_About Naruto! You heard what he said!" Kiba huffed._

"_Ch…that usuratonkachi…I was starting to suspect something though…" Sasuke lowered his gaze._

"_Suspect?" Kiba faced him, his interest perked._

"_I'd always thought when he was always hitting me playfully, or when he would accidentally "trip" over and fall on me when I'm sleeping…or when we'd go shower, he always turn his shower on cold…" Sasuke spoke thoughtfully._

"_Man…you've got him bad…" Kiba shook his head._

"_I know…and it pains me so much to see him suffer like this…I just don't know why…" Sasuke plainly said, walking again, his sights falling on the jacket-less clones jumping on the trees. _

"Well, that was the truth! I didn't know why!" Sasuke countered.

Kyuubi looked thoughtful. "Well, how about the time when…"

"_You haven't answered my question…" Kiba pressed on._

"_What's there to answer? I have my responsibility of reviving my clan. Don't think that Naruto can offer me an heir?" Sasuke blandly pointed out._

"I didn't say that I abhorred Naruto! Hated him! Despised him for who he was! Told him off because it wasn't normal that two boys liked each other!" Sasuke flailed his arms in panicked defense.

"According to this scroll on human psychology…" Kyuubi fixed an eyeglass he conjured out of nowhere on his nose. "…you expressed a blatant situation that Naruto can never be someone you can relate to as more than just a friend. You needed a wife, a female, to have kids and continue your line."

"I did say I had my responsibility. But I never said I would have to fulfill it! I don't give a fuck anymore being an Uchiha! It brought me more problems than I thought it would!" Sasuke sighed, dropping to his knees.

"I just want a life where no one gives a damn about me or Naruto. I just want to spend my life with him. I thought I would be happy if I could finally kill Itachi…I just realized it would make my life emptier!"

Kyuubi smiled gently at the boy. He never doubted his Jinchuuriki's crush. He was the right person to come to.

"Well said, Sasuke. I knew I could trust you with my host." Kyuubi's playful nature was replaced once more with a serious demeanor. "Sit with me, Sasuke-kun, and I will tell you things only you should know.

* * *

"Won't Iruka-sensei be surprised at what I'd give him for his birthday!" Naruto chuckled to himself, reminiscing a moment when Iruka would pass by towards their local (and newly-opened) bookstore. The older male would turn starry-eyed at the various books lined, as if tempting him to rip the plastic covers open and just plop down on the floor and read.

Naruto had seemingly taken up all manner of odd jobs to earn some cash to buy his favorite teacher a book. For the past years, he'd send him some weird stuff (a picture frame, a rabbit's paw, his favorite cup ramen, and when he absolutely had no money…a paper weight he made by messily gluing a few rocks together…), but this time he was going to get a book for him.

He actually took a day off to browse the whole bookstore for a suitable, and interesting book (actually he spent half the day browsing in the perverted section of the bookstore, and spent the afternoon looking for the actual gift…Kakashi and Jiraiya's blatant exposure of their pervertedness was rubbing on him). Naruto had found a book on the legendary Biju (or 'Tailed Beasts'), and using a whole-month's worth of salary, bought the book.

"He'll be so happy! I might even get a free ramen…" Naruto momentarily halted his train of thoughts when he heard a familiar sob.

Iruka-sensei!

The blond hurriedly followed the source of the sound, and came towards a clearing in the forest. Naruto hid himself in a tree, his eyes widening at what he saw.

Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-pervert! Why is Kakashi-sensei here?

Leaning forward he tried to listen closer.

* * *

"…my apologies. I just can't help it every time I come here." Iruka sobbed at the older jounin's vest. The raven-haired man chose to wore a casual red t-shirt for the day, seemingly that no class was on a Sunday.

"You don't have to spend your birthday every year away from the village. Especially in a place like this…" Kakashi held the younger man close to him.

"I just…I just want to honor their memory…" Iruka removed himself from the light-haired jounin and knelt before a make-shift grave, a few stones as a marker,

"I understand…even I always come to the memorial…"

"Thank you…" Iruka said nothing more, closing his eyes in prayer. His eyes slowly flowed of renewed tears.

Naruto finally understood, seeing the grave and Iruka's pained expression. _Iruka-sensei's parents…_

He hated himself at that moment. Hated for what was living inside of him. Hated for what it did to the people he loved. Hated it for taking away a life that would have been different than what he underwent.

"Somehow…I don't see my worth in Iruka-sensei's eyes anymore…" Naruto bit his lip, still gazing outwards to the chuunin that knelt and the jounin that stood behind him.

"Naruto…" A smooth timbre spoke behind him.

The blond turned around in an instant, seeing Kakashi perched up behind him. He shouldn't feel surprised though; the blond berated himself. The jounin was just too sensitive to identify other people around him, whether hidden or not.

"It's his parent's grave, right?" He softly asked.

"Yes…come to celebrate his birthday?" Kakashi spoke in the same volume.

Naruto didn't reply, but stuck the book towards the jounin.

"Please, tell Iruka-sensei that this came from you." Naruto requested, unable to look straight at the jounin in his eye. "Don't tell him anything other than that…"

The jounin accepted, and eyed the strange item wearily. "Shouldn't you give this to him personally?"

Naruto shook his head. "I…I would feel worse if I said that…"

Kakashi sighed. "You know you're not the Kyuubi, Naruto. You know that…"

"Yes, I know. But…that doesn't allow me to escape the past. I just think…Iruka-sensei would be better off without having two reminders of Kyuubi this day…"

"I understand." Kakashi disappeared, replacing the bunshin he left behind. Naruto somberly gazed at his father figure before he disappeared from the place once more.

* * *

Naruto staggered towards the gates of Konohagakure, his body and mind weary of all the stress that day. From his three-day nonstop traveling, to that emotional moment at the grave, he just felt like leaving Konoha all of a sudden.

It just seemed that everything was a sorry illusion now. Maybe he was wrong after all…the idea of friendship, teamwork, training…and especially love. Each and everything he was taught seemed to only spite him.

Was his life really destined for contradictions then? Should everything he wants, be countered with something of the opposite? His dreams of being Hokage had already been trodden by the villager's hatred towards him and what was sealed in him. His familiarity of Umino Iruka was suddenly forgotten, at the sight of the man crying upon the grave of his parents, and to Naruto's surprise, almost on each of his birthdays.

He should leave. Leave for good. Then maybe, everyone would feel better…including himself.

But something was stopping him, something or someone…he just felt that unless it would let go…he would not leave.

"Naruto…"

The blond perked up, his muscles tugging his scowl into an unmistakable smile.

"…why did you run away?"

Tears fell slowly, running in small rivulets and playing across his whisker scars.

"Don't ever do that again…"

His knuckles clenched and unclenched in tension. His lips, not knowing what to do, kept changing expressions.

"…don't worry me like that, dobe."

From the horizon, Sasuke's tired form cast a long shadow towards the blond. Naruto slowly turned around, walking towards the softly-smiling brunette, his arm stretched towards him.

"Sasuke…"

Naruto walked a bit faster, his arms swinging a bit this time. Tears fell more hurriedly than before.

"Sasuke…"

The blond broke into a run, his arms swinging wildly. He closed his eyes as he ran, wanting to feel Sasuke before he could see him up close.

"Sasuke…as long as you are here…"

His hands connected with Sasuke's arms.

"…as long as you want me to be here…"

His face fell into the familiar scent that is the Uchiha's

"…as long as you say nothing to hurt me…"

Sasuke held the boy tighter, whispering words of apology and regret.

"I'll stay…I won't let go from you…"

"I sense Naruto is starting to wake up." Kyuubi looked around in alarm.

Sasuke nodded, putting away all the scrolls that contained everything Kyuubi knew of the situation.

"I'll come back when I have the chance, Sasuke-kun. Until then, take your training with that Sannin. It's your only chance against Naruto. Oh, and don't tell anyone you even know I exist. Just for safety reasons." Kyuubi added.

"I understand. Tell me if anything else will happen. I'll make sure we come face to face during the exams." Sasuke fisted a knuckle.

Kyuubi nodded momentarily before disappearing in a gust of wind. His smile lingered for the moment on the boy before vanishing as well.

"I'll make sure of that..."

Sasuke knuckled his fists.

"I'll make sure..."

* * *

"Naruto?"

Kyuubi looked around, a bit shocked at the mindscape he left a few hours ago.

The glass screen that was a makeshift television a while ago was shattered, pieces of glass on the dark floor. The mirror stuck on the crack that emanated at the center.

The show was still on, yet Naruto was nowhere to be found.

And Kyuubi just recognized the memory still running.

It was the day before the blond ran away. The day the fatal joke was played upon the unsuspecting boy.

Kyuubi took a glass shard, an apparent smile gracing his face.

The boy was just being too cooperative with his plans.

* * *

Well, there I hope I made an update worth the wait. Just to give you clues as to what Kyuubi's abilities are, I've taken this from wikipedia and I credit them for it. (Worship wikipedia! It is the god of all encyclopedias! Gahaha!)

**Kitsune is the japanese word for 'fox'. **

**Other powers commonly attributed to the kitsune include possession, the ability to breathe or otherwise create fire, the power to manifest in dreams, and the ability to create illusions so elaborate as to be almost indistinguishable from reality. Some tales go further still, speaking of kitsune with the ability to bend time and space, to drive people mad, or to take such nonhuman and fantastic shapes as a tree of incredible height or a second moon in the sky. Occasionally kitsune are ascribed a characteristic reminiscent of vampires— these kitsune feed on the life or spirit of the humans they come into contact with. Sometimes kitsune are depicted guarding a round or pear-shaped ball (_hoshi no tama_ or star ball); it is said this ball contains some amount of the kitsune's power, and if it is stolen the thief can coerce help from the kitsune.**

I'll reply to your reviews in the next chapter. I need some sleep...badly.


	24. The Fuse Before the Catastrophe

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

I don't know where to start explaining why I was so delayed updating this fic. If you have any questions, just send it in the review. Please forgive my writing if it sucks as of the moment, I just got back into it.

Hope you enjoy.

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Chapter 24: The Fuse Before the Catastrophe

-

"There is no point for you to remain a genin any longer…"

"Will I take the test along with Naruto-san, then?"

"Both he and Gaara are lacking a member for this year's Chuunin exam."

Silence.

"By then, you'd be allowed formal training to becoming a medic-nin. Even with what things you know by know, self-training does not match to apprenticeship."

"I just worry…won't Konoha suspect my presence?"

"I've arranged matters pertaining that issue. Just prepare for the next three days."

"Hai, Orochimaru-sama…"

* * *

Orochimaru allowed himself a few minutes to breathe. Moments after Kabuto had left, the Otokage stood up from his seat and went outside the doors that held the view of Otogakure.

It was dreary-looking, so much gloomy and moon-licked; unlike the sun-kissed village of Konohagakure. It suited the villagers fine, for quite a lot of them were just as pale-skinned as Orochimaru's former host body was.

But _something_ just had to stand out.

* * *

Not many people knew about Orochimaru's new hobby. So far, even the person he shared it with didn't know about it.

No, it wasn't blond watching…or something voluntary in any manner.

It was smiling naturally.

Sure, Orochimaru did his share of smiling in the past…but there was always an evil message with it. It'd be a conniving smile, evil smile, a dragon smile…

All of his smiles and grins consisted of threats, promises of doom, or amusement from pain.

But then, a few weeks after the blond-haired boy came into Otogakure…things had started to change.

* * *

Kabuto was the first to notice. During a meeting. In a place deemed to be the most boring place in the Otokage's tower.

The conference room.

At first, Kabuto thought he might have mistaken it for something else. It was nothing but a flitting movement of lips. Orochimaru sat lethargically on his seat, fingers crossed in make-believe contemplation.

And then, once in a while, his lips twitched.

If not for self-control, Kabuto might have pointed out a finger at him and screamed 'HE'S A FAKE! GET HIM!' only to realize later, there was a nil possibility of that ever happening.

Kabuto had taken it to consult with Orochimaru, but the latter merely dismissed him with an excuse that he heard something enticing to the ears.

Yeah, sure. Talking about Otogakure's over-all health state and academy matters should be enticing…

* * *

Orochimaru knew the reason to these sudden impulsive attacks. There was no other logical explanation but _that one_.

Shikon Shibari no Jutsu…

A few weeks he'd been reveling in the misery and angst the blond was exuding so generously. His want for blood and death around him add to that.

This made him extremely moody the first weeks. This suited him fine. After all, he was a man who enjoyed such moods. He lived off of those moods for quite a while in his former 50-year old body.

And then came the past weeks. Naruto woke up one day, his angst replaced with a sense of…_enthusiasm._

Orochimaru figured it must be 'one of those days'. Yep, give the blond three days or so, and he'd return to scowling and killing anyone who irritated him greatly.

It lasted for two weeks without the blond returning to his expected attitude.

Not only that, but Orochimaru felt the sudden oncoming of that mistake.

His facial muscles twitched convulsively. Orochimaru sensed a sort of weird sensation flowing from his left arm. It was writhing, coursing through his veins, spreading around himself.

He felt light-headed, almost a new sensation in itself. Orochimaru shuddered at the thought of suddenly filling giddy and wanting to hug anybody on a close proximity.

He did what was the next best thing to release that pent-up energy.

He smiled.

And right now, he was looking at the unexpected source of unwelcome joy.

* * *

Gaara was skillfully dodging sonic blasts the blond was nonchalantly throwing at him. Naruto just stood in the same spot, the only movement emitting from his calm façade was the figurative movement of his arms and the wistful smile on his lips.

"Too bad sand can't block sound out so effectively, na Gaara-kun?" Naruto taunted, letting out a stronger blast just for effect. The redhead grimaced as his sand shield blew away at the force.

"It would be nice if **I** would be in the offensive now…" He growled, irritated at Naruto's amused look.

"Aww, c'mon. I need to improve these before sundown." Naruto creased his eyebrows, as he flicked his fingers in synch with his arms. It created a piercing sound that resonated through a few buildings.

"That's it!" Naruto lit up, a devilish grin in his face. Gaara only sighed, knowing that he'd be in the receiving end for whatever 'improvement' Naruto had in mind with the basic jutsu.

Naruto swished his arms once more, but this time, no sound blasts were emitted; save for a few shrill sounds.

Bracing for whatever may come, Gaara hid inside a dome of sand he made.

_Excellent._ Naruto directed a weak blast at the dome.

It shivered slightly.

Collecting wind in his hands, Naruto formed a weak version of the Odama Rasengan. He let out a satisfied grin upon hearing the shrill-like cries emitted from the ball.

"Futon Konbi Hijutsu: Furyu no Mai!" (Wind Combination Secret Technique: Dance of the Wind Dragon!)

A lithe air blast unwound itself from the ball in Naruto's hand. Various shrills of differing pitch and tones followed through. It sounded almost like the anguish of a thousand men.

The dragon-shaped air blast had hit the dome squarely, spreading throughout the formation. In a manner of seconds, the dome of sand crumbled, each particle vibrating erratically.

Inside, Gaara was clutching his head, his eyes in panic. He was vibrating at a very fast rate all over, as if he was being drilled in place. Blood had started to drip from his nostrils and from his lips.

"Kai! (Release!)" Naruto hurriedly released the jutsu. The cries suddenly died down, the wind calmed, and Gaara halted from incessantly vibrating anymore. Naruto assessed the damage done to the boy.

"Damn…you're badly shaken up…" Naruto clucked his tongue. Gaara only snorted at that.

"Enough with the stupid puns…" Gaara coughed up a few flecks of blood. "What kind of jutsu was that anyway?"

Naruto only rolled his eyes. Trust the redhead to want to know about it, instead of worrying about himself first. For somebody's sake, he's bleeding and god-knows what internal damage the jutsu has done.

"I want to know how it works so I can tell which part I'm heavily injured…" Gaara growled, noticing the eye-roll. "Dumbass…" He added, just for comfort.

"Oh. That." Naruto grinned, mentally slapping himself. "Well…see, I used chakra to mold the wind into a fast-moving current capable of creating sound with resonance matching all surrounding objects."

"Go on…" Gaara urged him, scratching his hand, which still tingled.

"It takes a minute for initial echoes to retrieve resonance signatures. See, I have to determine a person's natural resonance for this jutsu to work. If I am successful, I can send out an air blast that contains the same resonance as my enemy." He grinned at his own genius.

"By sending out an air blast with the same resonance frequency, you can successfully incapacitate an enemy." Gaara continued, somehow understanding. "The effect would be like a fat lady singing a high tone to a wine glass."

Naruto nodded. "And what happens to the glass after a prolonged exposure?"

Gaara's lips were set in a grim line.

"It…breaks…"

* * *

Orochimaru's eyes glinted with a different light at that.

"Perhaps I was wrong to assume he was an idiot to begin with…" He mused to himself.

Come to think of it, Naruto would be a fine specimen for his new body. Sasuke could wait. His _Sharingan_ can wait. But Naruto is in front of him.

Orochimaru thought of the countless things he could do with the vast chakra supply the boy emitted. He could experiment any jutsu he can please with such an amount of chakra.

"It'd be a shame to take away his body though…" Orochimaru glanced at the duo, who began walking towards the nearest clinic. "Naruto has good taste in developing jutsus…if memory serves right, he is the Yondaime's legacy…"

Plans for revenge and vengeance were thick on his mind.

* * *

"Damn, boy! You're too slow!"

Sasuke only managed to grimace as Jiraiya's punch hit him square in the stomach. He shook the sensation of blacking out and glared at the white-haired Sannin.

"Glaring won't do any good, Sasuke! Is this all an Uchiha is capable of?" Jiraiya scratched his hair in annoyance.

"Watch it old man …" Sasuke growled. A few minutes later, both disappeared into thin air. Shurikens and kunais stuck onto the ground, a testament to their training.

A few hours layer, Sasuke was lying on the grass, panting heavily. Jiraiya sat below the shade of a tree, sake on hand.

"You're still no match for Naruto, kid. If this keeps up, I'll do nothing but use a spatula to scrape you from the ground when Naruto pummels you to it."

Sasuke flinched. "Don't insult me, Jiraiya-san. I'm more than a match for that dobe."

Jiraiya snickered. "Yeah, right. You couldn't even summon Gamabunta. And you expect me to believe what you just said? Naruto could do it with his hands behind his back…"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Well, not really. I had to push him off a cliff just so he could summon the Boss. But he was able to do it."

Jiraiya stole a skeptic glance at Sasuke. The boy caught it.

"And you…the best you can do is summon Gama. I admit it is quite a feat as it was your first time, but it seems that is only what your limit is capable of." Jiraiya sighed, drinking down another cup.

Sasuke didn't know what to say of it, and just kept mum. It seemed that only so far, Naruto and he were fighting alongside, taunting each other and learning from one another's strengths and weaknesses.

But now…

"Sasuke-kun…"

The boy glanced furtively at the white-haired Sannin, who looked sober.

"Forgive me for comparing you to him…I know how you hate that. But Naruto is Naruto…and in the balance of powers, you are not quite up on par with him. You may be a genius, and Naruto a fool; but the most dangerous person in this world IS the fool. Do you get me?"

Sasuke bit his lip, looking away.

"No…I'm afraid Naruto wasn't the fool…"

Jiraiya was in his little world once more. Sasuke sighed a bit, his eyes clouding slightly as he drowned himself in thoughts.

"I am…"

* * *

Infirmary.

Gaara looked out of his window towards the setting sun. It had bled orange and a bit of red, painting the pale white walls of his room, crimson. Facing the ceiling, and gazing interested somewhat at the minute paint bumps, he sighed.

His hands absently fell on the vial on his neck, two-thirds almost full. The red liquid had begun splashing around when shook. Gaara was in no mood for fun and games anymore.

"Time's a wasting."

The redhead's eyes shifted to his side, a figure stood still.

"You shouldn't worry, by the time this vial is full, it will coordinate with what's going to happen at the Chuunin exams."

The figure let out a smirk; his eyes, bleeding red, gazed at the said vial.

"Just do the job you've been sent to do, _Gaara-kun"._

The redhead smirked back.

"As long as I expect no interference from you, Itachi-kun."

Itachi laughed, disappearing in a puff of smoke, just in time for the Sound medic-nin to arrive and deliver Gaara's medicine.

* * *

The Chuunin Exam arc will be up in the next chapter. I might update in a week or two. Hopefully if schoolwork won't bury me once again. Reviews will be answered in the next update. Sorry for the three month delay in updating this fic. 


	25. Enter Enemy Territory

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. It would be troublesome if I did.

EDIT: Changed a small typo noted by Drk-Innocence. I'll reply to reviews in the next chapter. Sorry for sounding like such a jerk. shrugs

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The two weeks have passed; time seemed to have tarried no longer. The air around Hi no Kuni (Land of Fire), Mizu no Kuni (Land of Water), Tsuchi no Kuni (Land of Earth), Ame no Kuni (Land of Rain), Kusa no Kuni (Land of Grass), Kaze no Kuni (Land of Wind), Rai no Kuni (Land of Lightning), Taki no Kuni (Land of Waterfall) and even Oto no Kuni (Land of Sound) have grown tense with excitement and activity.

The Chuunin exams were once again to be held at Konohagakure, the Hidden Village of Leaf. Here, various genin from different villages will fight for their lords, and aim to bring honor and glory to their villages.

It is an event that will determine a village's strength, and their capabilities as well. Various lords and clients will always root for the village with the strongest warriors, and in turn, these villages will prosper.

Some villages will fight for this goal. Other villages fight for reputation. And others, all of them.

But, for the Hidden Village of Sound, such is not the case…

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Chapter 25: Chuunin Exam Story Arc: One Week Before the Exams: Enter Enemy Territory!

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Orochimaru had spent every last hour training Naruto. And by training, Naruto wasn't only honed in the skills of Taijutsu, Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. Orochimaru made sure that he had his share of Kinjutsu as well (Forbidden Techniques).

Naruto and Orochimaru hadn't gone to sleep for at least a week, aided by a special potion Kabuto was commissioned to create. They had spent the entire time around Otogakure, inside Orochimaru's lair, and even at the borders of the Fire Country, looking for stray ninjas they can practice on.

For the very least, Naruto had changed back to the way he was first time he came across Orochimaru.

It seemed so sudden that Orochimaru's sinister desire to destroy Konohagakure, and claim Sasuke as his own, had gone off the charts. Those same desires pumped themselves vigorously from him towards Naruto via the seal, and Naruto's mood darkened at once.

Naruto's mind had suddenly been set towards Orochimaru's goals, thus both of them managed to pull off the non-stoppable, one-week, no-sleep training session. If one of them got injured, Kabuto would be there to heal in no time. If Orochimaru ever felt low on chakra, Kabuto was there. Naruto had no problems with chakra, save only his stamina, which was continuously replenished by Kabuto's potion.

With each day nearing, Naruto's fervor grew and grew. Fury and rage reflected in his eyes, his presence never left the Otokage's side, his fingers always itched for battle.

Orochimaru felt the same, satisfied with Naruto's attitude. Naruto was a blood-thirsty monster…HIS monster. Ready to kill for him. Fight for him. Die for him.

He was the specimen for a perfect shinobi.

Time to put him to the test.

* * *

Naruto stood stiffly along with Kabuto and Gaara, waiting instructions from the Otokage that was sitting before them. Orochimaru was still reading a few documents at hand, his eyes flitting from one line to another, the only sound heard across the room were the constant tapping of his long fingernails.

The blond had bandaged his face as a disguise, leaving only his right eye visible, to avoid recognition from the Konoha public and from other genin. Naruto's right eye displayed an air of flakiness, eyelid half-covering his indigo eye.

Gaara had decided to change his over-all appearance, using Henge to turn himself into a pale, Otogakure genin. A forehead protector covered his tattoo, his red hair and eyes, the only giveaway that it was Gaara.

The Otokage sat up, finally finished reading said documents. His eye fell on Naruto at once, and then scowled.

"Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu…" (Demonic Illusion: False Surroundings Technique) Orochimaru whispered, placing his hand on the boy's head.

Naruto's blond hair suddenly turned platinum. Gaara and Kabuto only looked on, interests piqued at the change of color.

"How does it feel, Naruto-kun?" Orochimaru asked, his hands lingered a bit on the boy's hair.

Naruto only nodded, the loose bandage that hung, swayed in motion.

"Good." Orochimaru stepped back and sat on the table, as he readied himself to deliver a short speech.

"The Chuunin exams are here, the start of the first test will be in the afternoon. It is important that the three of you reach the venue on time." Orochimaru glanced at the sun outside. It was still morning, though it was uncanny how he knew. The sun seemed to have been covered by clouds today.

"Do not act suspiciously. I'm assured Tsunade will have her jounin and ANBU units set their eyes on us. For the better part, we will have to act together like any three-man team would." His gaze fell on Naruto.

"When the time comes, I will personally deal with the Hokage myself. Tsunade and Jiraiya are mine to deal with. Naruto, I want you to deal with the Uchiha heir. Make sure to bring him back to Otogakure, conscious or not. Kabuto and Gaara of the Desert will deal with the chuunins and jounins foolish enough to get in the way."

"Naruto…" Orochimaru's voice turned sibilant as he gazed at the now-platinum blond. The boy looked up at his gaze.

"Everything will revolve around your fight with the Uchiha. I trust you will not…fail me?"

Naruto flinched at those words, and a hint of rebellion reflected in his eyes. Orochimaru managed to catch a very fast punch Naruto let go instantaneously.

"I will never fail you, Otokage-sama." Naruto's resolve was strong and true in his voice. His eyes trained at the Otokage.

"Good." Orochimaru gave a short nod, and Naruto's hand immediately slackened. The same bored look returned in his eyes as if nothing had happened.

Orochimaru each handed them their respective registration scrolls. "I have registered you under your name, Kabuto. Naruto and Gaara will have to change names in the meantime. Naruto will be known as Kouryuu while Gaara will take on the name Mujina."

"I will accompany all of you as your jounin instructor. Nobody yet of the Fire Country recognizes me as Orochimaru. I will act as an emissary of sorts…it will be fun playing with Tsunade for quite a while." Orochimaru flexed his fingers in tense anticipation.

Both Gaara and Kabuto took their leave, taking a backpack beside the door and waiting outside. Naruto dispassionately gazed at the Otokage, as Orochimaru's face leered close to his ear.

"Make me proud…" Orochimaru whispered, his hand entwined with Naruto's. The seal on their hands made contact, and Naruto's eyes shot up.

A soft laughter emanated from among the bandages.

"It will be my greatest pleasure, Otokage-sama…" Naruto answered, his glazed indigo pupil turned towards Orochimaru.

A flash of red passed through Naruto's eyes.

* * *

Naruto's team hadn't made a silent exit from Konohagakure though. Almost every genin and chuunin came out onto the streets to wave their goodbyes and bid the now-platinum haired Naruto good luck ("How the hell do they still recognize me! Naruto thought…)

Orochimaru, on the other hand, visibly glared at any jounin that dared throw a dirty glance at the blond. Those were the minority anyway. A lot more jounins have joined in with the others to cheer out their farewell and support.

"**Ganbatte, Naruto-san!" **

"**We'll be rooting for you victory, Naruto-sama!"**

Naruto's fan club had taken pains to hang a large banner with the words "NARUTO LOVE ". The boy only had to cast a cheery glance with his lone eye to make them all swoon and fall over.

Kabuto only rolled his eyes, Gaara hid a smile, and Orochimaru placed an arm on Naruto's shoulder as both teacher and student shared a grin.

* * *

Borders of Sound Country – Fire Country

"For only a few weeks, you've managed to convert almost all of my people into your fan club…" Orochimaru casually asked the boy on his side, as the group ran and jumped tirelessly from tree to tree.

"What can I say, Otokage-sama? Sound has good taste with men." Naruto muffled a reply. Orochimaru smirked as Gaara and Kabuto tripped over in the next branch.

"Really, now?" Orochimaru raised an eyebrow.

Naruto's lone eye glanced at Orochimaru in confirmation.

The team shared mutual silence before Naruto decided to speak up once more.

"Otokage-sama, what is Itachi-san doing in Otogakure?"

* * *

Tsunade crinkled her eyebrows as she continued reading something from a scroll. Sasuke, Sakura, Kiba and Kakashi stood by, waiting for her to dig her nose out of whatever she was reading.

"Here." Tsunade finally spoke, her finger pointing at Sound Village entries. "Only one team from Sound has been entered in this year's Chuunin exam."

"The Sound Team consists of…Yakushi Kabuto, Inshi Kouryuu, and Onashii Mujina. Their jounin instructor goes by the name Gen'yumaru." Tsunade gave the scroll to the team before her. "Look familiar, Sasuke?"

Sasuke's eyes took a distinctive red shade upon seeing the picture of the platinum haired Sound Nin. His eyes flitted towards the other two pictures before settling back towards the blond's.

"Kabuto, Naruto and Gaara no doubt." Sasuke gave it to Kakashi, his eyes returning to their former shade of black.

"Yet another mystery in Orochimaru's part. Sending the very same person we are after." Kakashi left his gaze towards the Hokage.

"Orochimaru is confident Naruto won't leave him even if he returns here. With the seal as back up, it should pose no problem for him. Even if Naruto wanted to escape him all these months, it'd be hopeless with the seal." Tsunade closed her eyes.

"I'm not confident Naruto just wanting to go back here and live like nothing happened." Sasuke riposted.

"He's right, Hokage-sama. Orochimaru might be sending him for another purpose other than the Chuunin exam. Since when did that snake give a damn about his own village anyway?" Kiba pointed out.

"I'm not asking for your opinion, dog boy." Sasuke huffed.

"I wasn't talking to you, asshole! I'm pretty sure you're not the Godaime. Last time I heard she was a woman." Kiba retorted back.

"Get a life, mutt."

"Go get a boyfriend, then maybe you'd stop being a prick…"

**BANG!**

Tsunade flaccidly gazed at the three, as Kiba's head was buried beneath the wooden floor. Sakura was still gritting her teeth as her knuckles continued tightening, her punch the direct cause of Kiba's hapless journey to the floor below them. Kakashi merely looked at them before returning back to his Icha Icha Tactics, his eye still trained on the Hokage though.

"Is it wise to join Kiba with Team 7, even if it is temporary, Hokage-sama?" Kakashi asked, his doubt starting to grow as Kiba and Sakura were growling at each other in the background.

Tsunade brought her hands together, as if in contemplation, and sighed. "We have no other choice. Shino is a chuunin already. Hinata has been sent for by her father to start managing their clan. And I've sent Kurenai off for a special task. Seeing that Team 7 is missing one member, I've no option, any or otherwise."

Kakashi kept mum at that, seeing it as the only veritable option. Kiba was the only genin left out of the members of the Rookie Nine outside Team Seven. It was undeniable that his skill is already that of the elite chuunin, and he should have been one already. But for reasons unknown, he wasn't participating much in the past chuunin exams. Sasuke, Kakashi knew his reasons, didn't become chuunin yet, because of Naruto. The jounin knew Sasuke held back being chuunin until Naruto became one as well.

Sakura…well…seeing that Sasuke wasn't chuunin, she decided to hold back too. Tsunade had to force her this year to become one, saying things about being under her tutelage, yet wasn't even capable of turning into chuunin yet.

* * *

"Don't you dare insult Sasuke-kun like that Kiba!"

"Insult? Hah! That was a suggestion, you selfish onna!" (0)

" 'Get a boyfriend?' Are you implying that Sasuke's…" The girl stood quiet, mind suddenly forming images of Sasuke and a faceless guy doing…things. "Ahhh! Look what you made me think!"

"And you enjoyed it, didn't you? Ecchi!" (1) Kiba accusingly pointed a finger at her, his face triumphant.

Sakura's façade of gentleness all fell out, as the Inner Sakura took faculty of what's left of her sanity.

"You lookin' for a fight, you dog!" She howled out, forgetting she was in the presence of the Hokage.

Kiba's eye twitched. He never gave a damn about women anyway. "Bring it on, forehead girl!" He growled back.

Both glared at each other steadily, electricity seemed to pass between their gazes. Kakashi swore Sakura's eyes were glowing redder than Sasuke's Sharingan, and Kiba's fangs had lengthened more than what Naruto looked like he had.

**CRASH!**

Everybody turned around when they heard glass breaking behind the Hokage. Tsunade had a battle-lust aura around her. She had just thrown her chair out of the window…again.

"By the time I open my eyes…I expect to see no one…" Tsunade gritted out, her hand disintegrating off a part of the wooden table she was bracing upon.

Kakashi and the others were long gone.

* * *

The team had split up upon exit from the Hokage Tower. Sakura and Kiba; out of pure panic, Kakashi; out of pure convenience (he can read his Icha Icha Tactics without the annoyance of his team), and Sasuke; just wanting to be alone.

Sakura and Kakashi had gone the same ways, the girl going home and Kakashi saying something about visiting his dolphin (Huh? Sakura thought). Kiba and Sasuke met up, though it was no welcome mat for Sasuke. Kiba just brought his arms over his head, as he walked side by side with the Uchiha. Akamaru (the dog had grown to the size of a hairy pony) was trailing behind them.

Kiba had changed wardrobes for the past year; his hooded jacket and shorts were traded in for black ninja clothes. Sasuke did the same, wearing black ninja clothing over his chain mesh shirt. (Uncannily, he looked almost the same like his brother Itachi under the Akatsuki cloak, though Sasuke never admitted it.)

"Go home, Kiba." Sasuke suddenly spoke up.

"Wha..wha…hey! What the fuck, I just kept quiet here! What's your problem?" Kiba bit back.

"I don't want to answer any of your questions." Sasuke spoke all too surly.

"Who said I was gonna ask ya anything?" Kiba glared at him.

Sasuke just stopped walking and raised an eyebrow at him. "See?"

Kiba took a minute to register just what happened.

"Hey!" He finally caught on with a bewildered look.

"Glad you finally realized it." Sasuke resumed walking. His hands dug back on his pocket.

Kiba, for his credit, took only half another minute to let the implied insult in.

"Hey, you jerk. I just wanted to talk to you, ok?" Kiba did his best to be polite, a trait he wasn't quite good at with people.

Sasuke imagined he wasn't there.

Kiba gritted his teeth, apparently not good with being attention-deprived. The boy did some seals and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Sasuke turned around, recognizing that tuft of unruly, blond hair.

"Naruto…" Sasuke mouthed out softly, his eyes turning soft impulsively.

* * *

Orochimaru glanced sideways before speaking with the boy.

"So it seems you have seen our visitor for the past few weeks?" Orochimaru asked not too surly.

"I've seen him lurking in the dark, Otokage-sama. I do not know his intentions, but he seems to be hounding me somewhat wherever I go." Naruto spoke with the same caution.

"Akatsuki is making their move so soon. I advise extra caution in your part, Naruto." Orochimaru voiced out his concern.

"Of course." Naruto paused before continuing. "Do you have an idea at all of their motives, Otokage-sama?"

"It is you, my pet." Orochimaru held no information back. "They wish for the Biju sealed inside you. They desire to harness the power of the Kyuubi no Yoko. Power that belongs to only me and _you._"

Naruto nodded, but voiced out another concern.

"Gaara-kun has Shukaku sealed inside of him. Isn't he another target for the Akatsuki?"

Orochimaru looked strangely at the once-Sand nin. Truth be told, he had no idea why the boy had shown up a week later upon hearing Naruto's defection. And the fact that Itachi had paid no concern for the Biju inside Gaara.

"Do you have any idea what you are up against, Gaara-kun?" Orochimaru sidled a reply towards the red-haired boy.

Gaara barely looked at him and drawled a reply. "I can take care of myself. My safety is my sole concern, Otokage-sama. Maybe Naruto needs more security than I do."

"What do you think?" Orochimaru consulted the medic nin.

Kabuto tilted his eyeglasses up, deep in thought. "Gaara-kun is right. It seems that Itachi-san's interest is solely focused on Naruto-kun. Gaara might be only second priority towards the Akatsuki for now."

"Naruto might have the capability to become a bigger threat now that he has…received tutelage under Orochimaru-sama."

Orochimaru threw a knowing glance towards the two, before his eyes were drawn back towards Naruto's indigo gaze.

The kitsune was passing heavy doses of doubt through their seal.

* * *

"Na, na, Sasuke-baka! C'mon, talk to me you jerk!" Naruto was cheerfully tugging Sasuke's sleeve, his innocent blue eyes looking up at him.

Kiba's Henge form was immediately dispelled when he failed to dodge a punch Sasuke immediately threw towards his face.

"SASUKE, YOU ASSHOLE!" Kiba was clutching the reddening portion of his face. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

Sasuke still looked shocked, his eyes gazing towards the angry Kiba, and his throbbing fist.

"…" Sasuke mumbled something.

"Say what?" Kiba threw a dirty glare at him, standing up.

Sasuke looked away.

"I…I really wanted to do that if I'd see Naruto again…" He whispered. "Maybe it'd knock some sense into him…"

Kiba made a 'tch' sound. "That's pathetic…"

Sasuke turned an angry glare at him.

"Hey, you were the fault he left in the first place. I'm blaming you for everything." Kiba snarked.

"And I'm setting things right!" Sasuke retorted hotly.

"You think it's that easy! Naruto's heart isn't some porcelain vase you destroy and easily glue back together you know? He was really hurt by the things you said…" Kiba snapped back, a little too loudly.

"I never meant for things to happen that way. I didn't know he like **liked** me."

"So how can you make things right? By the sound of it, you're only going to return him out of duty."

Sasuke shot back. "It was your fault he had to hear those things! You were the one who asked me those stupid questions!"

"And you had to answer those "so-called" stupid questions! And those questions weren't stupid either! They meant something, ya know!" Kiba immediately stopped, realizing he spoke too much.

* * *

"_Psst, Sasuke…" Kiba slowed him down a bit. Sasuke turned to Kiba, noticing that they were passing through the practice area._

"_So, what will you do about it?" Kiba spoke, concern outlining his voice._

"_About what?" Sasuke decided to be thickheaded._

"_About Naruto! You heard what he said!" Kiba huffed._

"_Ch…that usuratonkachi…I was starting to suspect something though…" Sasuke lowered his gaze._

"_Suspect?" Kiba faced him, his interest perked._

"_I'd always thought when he was always hitting me playfully, or when he would accidentally "trip" over and fall on me when I'm sleeping…or when we'd go shower, he always turn his shower on cold…" Sasuke spoke thoughtfully._

"_Man…you've got him bad…" Kiba shook his head._

"_I know…and it pains me so much to see him suffer like this…I just don't know why…" Sasuke plainly said, walking again, his sights falling on the jacket-less clones jumping on the trees. _

"_You haven't answered my question…" Kiba pressed on._

"_What's there to answer? I have my responsibility of reviving my clan. Don't think that Naruto can offer me an heir?" Sasuke blandly pointed out._

* * *

"So what will you do about it?" Kiba reminded him of the question.

Sasuke faced the nin, his eyes forming a suspicion.

"Are you telling me, that you, Kiba, will bring Naruto back?" Sasuke almost felt like laughing.

Kiba hardened at the mirth riding in the Uchiha's eyes. "What's so funny?"

Sasuke snickered, as if pieces from a giant puzzle fell in place before him. "YOU LOVE HIM, DO YOU?"

Kiba took a step back, Sasuke took it as confirmation.

"You've had your eyes on him for so long ago. You didn't become chuunin, seeing Naruto didn't become one. You asked me those questions, wanting my yes to muscle in on Naruto." Sasuke's pleasure suddenly disappeared.

"YOU FUCKING MORON! It's all clear! It was all your fault! You knew Naruto would hear me say those words! You knew he was listening in on us! Expecting him to cry and run away into some part of Konoha where he could be alone! And then, Wonder Boy Kiba comes along and comforts him! An unexpected confession of love from anybody would have had Naruto clinging onto you!"

Sasuke withheld the drive to use Chidori against Kiba. "You didn't expect Naruto to do something so drastic as to run away from Konoha, did you! You never thought he could be that hurt to actually give up his dream of being Hokage and escape from it!"

Kiba was biting his lips all of this time, blood had started trickling.

"That's because you were too insensitive to actually know how he felt!" Kiba bit back. "You never saw the lingering looks he always gave to your direction! How he wanted to tell you those three simple words I always wanted to tell him too!"

"I've loved Naruto ever since that first Chuunin exam, when he defeated me and opened my eyes to the possibility of learning more and never giving up. Naruto became my inspiration! He was everything I tried to emulate myself to!"

"I've grown to love him, I cherished him! Even if he only knew me in the background, I was satisfied that at least he acknowledged and knew me as a friend if nothing else…" Kiba forced back a sob.

"Did you know how fucking painful it is, for Naruto to be looking at someone else? I've always tightened myself, I've strangled my heart each time I see him happy being with you, and then feeling the bitter feelings of not being able to tell someone you love how much you care for them…"

"I've envied you Sasuke, so long ago. You had Naruto's total attention and command, even if you didn't know it. It wasn't only you that got hurt, because of my apparent foolishness…even a person I knew got hurt as well…" Kiba spoke softly.

"Shino loved me more than a friend, but he knew about my obsession with Naruto…He confessed, more than you can expect an Aburame to do, right smack in front of your face. And I rejected him…for a dream he knows I can never follow…"

"Team 8 fell after that, when our teamwork didn't go as well as it used to be. Shino and Hinata went on to becoming chuunins, but I never wanted to be near Shino again. I didn't want to be near him and cause him to be hurt every time I'm around. That is why I didn't want to become a chuunin."

Kiba didn't catch a lone tear that fell.

"I was sure he didn't want to see the person that rejected him…"

Sasuke didn't say much, except come closer to Kiba.

At least for a split-second, he saw himself in Kiba, crying also at his mistake.

I was sure Naruto didn't want to see the person that rejected him…

* * *

"There it is, Otokage-sama…"

Naruto stood before the gates with the hiragana syllable 'an'. Those words meant 'hermitage' or 'retreat' for the wearied soul that sought its asylum.

With Orochimaru and Naruto arriving, such words might lose their meaning.

* * *

(0) Onna is a girl, whilst otoko is a boy.

(1) Ecchi roughly translates to 'you're dirty-minded!'. We, being into yaoi, should be familiar with the term. –lets out a knowing smile-

Magen: Kokoni Arazu no Jutsu was actually used in the Chuunin Exam of the anime. Kotetsu and Izumo utilized this jutsu to confuse the examinees.

Mujina, Gaara's name, is an old Japanese word for tanuki or raccoon/badger. Onashii means empty, void.

Kouryuu, on the other hand, is the fifth animal of the Ssu Ling (Shijin in Japanese), or the Guardian Beasts. We have Seiryuu (Blue Dragon), Suzaku (Red Bird/Phoenix), Genbuu (Black Turtle), Byakko (White Tiger) and Kouryuu (Yellow Dragon). Inshi means a shrine of evil deity.

A lot of my facts came from wikipedia. org. Any errors is your problem. -tch-


	26. Reunions are Troublesome

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. Congratulations. I now qualify as a retard for saying the same thing over and over again for twenty-six times.

By now, until the end of the exams…

Naruto - Kouryuu

Gaara – Mujina

Orochimaru – Gen'yumaru

Well, this came out late because of the usual I-have-thesis excuse. That and I have a life –for how long I dunno- but I will update, and when I say it I…specifically don't mean it. Aw, just trust me that I'll update this!

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Chapter 26: Reunions Are So Troublesome

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The Godaime's words were running around in circles around Sasuke's head.

* * *

"_Now, listen." Tsunade made special mention of this to Team Seven. "Sound Team is arriving tomorrow. I'm not sure if Orochimaru will be tagging along (though I doubt he won't, she grumbled) or if he'll do Henge or any other shitty body-altering jutsu. We don't know much about their jounin instructor, Kabuto is no enigma but Gaara and Naruto will be."_

_Sasuke shook slightly from his position._

"_We don't know how much power or techniques Naruto would have learned from the snake. But I assure you, with the seal still in his arm, Naruto would have no problems dealing with lesser chuunin and such. I want Sasuke on Naruto."_

_The Uchiha turned a shade of crimson at the innocent implication of the order. Kakashi, however, caught on and coughed softly to hide the bit of mirth that escaped and turned his head sideways._

"_Sasuke will be excellent against Naruto. You two were always equally matched, even so, you having received training from Jiraiya. But I don't want you to get careless, as far as I know, Orochimaru still wants you as his vessel." Tsunade gave a nod towards Shizune who, confirmed the signal, and went out of the door._

"_When they arrive tomorrow, I want your team, Kakashi; to stick like glue at them. Know their abilities, so you won't be surprised. Confirm any suspicion you might have on any of them. Acquaint with them if you can. They might anticipate an action like this, but they can't do anything much about it. For diplomacy's sake, they won't shake you off their tails. _

"_And about Gaara…" Tsunade momentarily paused as her 'guests' came inside._

_

* * *

_

Sasuke decided to block out the rest of the memory, deeming it unimportant. It would his first time seeing Naruto since a few months ago. He was impressed. albeit insulted, by their last meeting; and Sasuke was itching on returning the favor.

"Hurry up, Kiba-kun!" Sasuke was jolted from his short reverie with Sakura's incessant whining. Kiba was hulking over, his face sulky. He was walking a bit slower than even Kakashi was, who wasn't minding anyone. Kakashi's thoughts were a bit away…

"What should I do? Naruto's gonna be hear any minute…what will I say?" Kiba grumbled under his breath, only too soft for the Uchiha to hear.

"Moron." Uchiha scoffed at him.

Kiba directed a heated glare at him, his beady eyes intent on the Uchiha's hair.

"His returning here doesn't merit anything at all. For whatever intent, he is still a nuke-nin."

The dog-nin caught on with the gleam on Sasuke's eye.

Sasuke dared him to say anything about it.

Kakashi silently observed from behind.

Everybody went silent.

* * *

_A prisoner._

_Caged inside my own body._

_Bound by my own will._

_A puppet of another person._

_I became this._

_Because…_

_Isn't this what I wanted?_

"One week to set our plans into motion. Konoha can expect what they want to, but they won't be able to do anything about it." Orochimaru grinned in his jounin form.

_Yet memories don't lie._

_And I see the foolishness of my past._

_I…_

_I want to be free!_

"Uchiha Sasuke will be yours by the end of the exams, Orochimaru-sama. Everything will be done swiftly and without delay." Kouryuu silkily replied, delighted when Orochimaru ran his hand through his hair.

_I…I hate you!_

_Orochimaru._

_Sooner or later, I will have my chance._

_And when I do, I'll escape from your grasp._

"I will do anything that pleases Orochimaru-sama." Kouryuu added for reassurance. The snake gave a smirk.

_You've played enough with me for too long._

_And now, I've grown bored with you._

_Won't it come as a shock when I turn the tables on you?_

"Orochimaru-sama…" The group halted in their tracks when they eyed a familiar-looking group of ninjas in the horizon.

From behind the bandages on his face, Naruto gave out a grin for quite so long.

"Uchiha…Sasuke…"

* * *

"Uzumaki…Naruto…"

Sasuke gritted out, his eyes immediately directed at the smirking Sound jounin, the stoic redheaded genin, and the detached Kabuto.

Both parties slowly walked towards each other, Sasuke and Naruto's gaze intent upon the other. Kiba, Sakura and Kakashi only followed, as much as the disguised Orochimaru, Gaara and Kabuto trailed after the platinum blond Naruto.

Finally, both parties were but a few feet from each other.

"Konoha extends its hospitality to its guests." Sasuke drawled out, his tone more on the border of annoyance than of hospitality.

"And Sound appreciates the hospitality it is given. We honor the courtesy." Kouryuu drawled back, his voice tinted with challenge.

Both boys glared at each other after the trade of words.

* * *

Orochimaru felt someone directing a heated gaze at him.

"I believe I never met you before."

Kakashi had just fixed his forehead protector.

"Gen'yumaru. An honor to meet one of the elite ninjas Konoha can be proud of…"

Orochimaru sniffed.

"Hatake Kakashi. The ninja that was able to copy a thousand jutsus."

Kakashi gave a bored look.

"That is like so yesterday. I've heard that from too many people already."

Gen'yumaru didn't reply. _Is that so? I can make it so that I'll be the last person you'll here that from. _

Kakashi's eye narrowed at the mirth forming at the Sound jounin's lips.

* * *

Sasuke and Kouryuu were still eyeing one another with meticulous scrutiny. It was almost as if both were treating each other like lab rats.

"Is there a need for you to hide your face, dobe?" Sasuke started the conversation, since he doubted the boy would. His face was in a confident smirk, as if he knew everything that ran in Kouryuu's mind.

Kouryuu's visible eye relaxed, taking on a demeaning stance.

"You're not worth seeing my face, teme." The last word was spoken in the same tone Naruto once did, but it was cool and stiff, unlike the past.

"The name is Inshi Kouryuu. And I don't need to guess that you are…Uchiha Sasuke." He simpered, his head still low.

Sasuke made a disinterested sound, unsure what to think of. Kouryuu stood straight, passed a glance at Kakashi, Sakura and Kiba. He gave a meaningful glance at Sasuke before disappearing. The Uchiha's eyes widened a bit before he disappeared as well.

Everybody looked surprised at the laughter emanating from Gen'yumaru.

"Isn't this fun? The exams haven't even started and our students are getting acquainted already?"

Kakashi shared in his amusement.

"You're right. It's been a long time since I saw Sasuke…'attach' himself to another person so readily. Your…'student' must be so…interesting for Sasuke to be so fascinated about." Kakashi made pause at each interval, as if in spite of the Sound jounin.

Gen'yumaru made a 'we'll-pass-you-by' motion with his hands as he directed his team towards a nearby inn.

Kakashi, wondering what their next moves might be, and where Sasuke and 'Kouryuu' had gone off, decided to leave and head for the Hokage Tower to report.

Sakura, having a niggling suspicion at what was happening ran off to another direction as well. He had to talk to someone.

And Kiba…

He was shaking, knuckles turning white. He was biting his lips so hard; his fangs had caused a line of blood to trail off to his chin. His eyes wandered from one direction to another, as if distraught, confused.

He recognized that scent. Kiba recognized the strong, adrenaline-hinted scent of Naruto. He was ecstatic at first, when the faint scent of ramen, blood, flowers and a spicy variant of Naruto smell wafted into his nose. He could trace it towards the Sound genin, of which even Sasuke suspected to be him.

And then…

His canine instincts were riled up when an unmistakable odor mixed in with Naruto's. He couldn't be wrong about it, even Akamaru, by his side, was growling, as if irritated by the scent.

The scent spoke of slyness, of treachery and of cunning. It was unpredictability and it was an enigma. The scent warned him of a wildcard character.

Kiba had smelled a fox's scent.

Too strong to be just a passing whiff.

He was certain it came from inside the boy.

* * *

Sasuke followed the Sound genin away from main Konoha. They were silently running and jumping, Kouryuu leading and Sasuke following.

Twice they had passed the same houses, and Sasuke realized Kouryuu was going in circles. It may have been to deter anyone following them, but Sasuke didn't mind. He wanted to find out about things, and if it meant going round and round Konoha for the whole day, then he'd goddamn do it.

He was jerked away from his reverie when the boy in front of him veered at a sharp angle. Sasuke took an extra step as he barely missed an electric post. The boy was now leading him towards a familiar looking field.

"Naruto…" Sasuke mouthed out, voice traced with tired irritation and condescending familiarity.

The boy said nothing, jumping across tree branches, farther away and away from civilization. Sasuke only followed silently, but still causing a bit of commotion to let Naruto know that he was still being followed.

Finally…

Naruto jumped towards the center of a clearing.

And Sasuke followed.

It was already nighttime when they stood at that place again.

The moon, once again, shone on them. The fireflies flew in agitation and excitement.

So long…too much time has passed when two people last visited this field.

* * *

…There was confidence.

"You still hide behind your mask…Naruto…" The boy in concern flinched.

…There was memory.

"You promised me…that even just for each night…"

…There was hope.

"We take down our masks…and we become friends…"

Then…

"Have you forgotten…"

…there was rage.

Cold and calculated anger.

And yet when Sasuke dealt anger, it was like a sword that did not give pronounced wound. It was a long, serrated lance, it spilt little blood…but the insides hurt much.

Yet for someone dead…will anything hurt?

Naruto fidgeted a little, before his hands had traveled from his sides towards his face. The wind had gained speed, and the bandages that dangled had gained the characteristics of a whip, lashing wildly.

The white strips of cloth that blocked his face slowly came off, save for a lone strip that ran across his nose, from one cheek to the other. His whisker scars were still hidden amongst the tangle of bandages.

"Sasuke…"

Hoarse voice. As if it was never used. Yet the familiarity Sasuke longed to hear from that voice wasn't in it. It was but merely a regard of acknowledgement that the boy was in front of him.

Orochimaru's genjutsu was dispelled. Gold immediately sprouted from white. And Kouryuu became Naruto in front of Sasuke.

"Are you happy now?"

There was still no emotion in his voice. Naruto gave a disinterested look at Sasuke.

"Is this what you want to see?"

There was a hint of venom in his voice.

"Sasuke-kun?"

The boy in question gritted his teeth, but silkily hid his annoyance.

"Aa, _yes_. No need to feel all cowardly by hiding under silly bandages. You brought me here." Sasuke talked smoothly, as if he wasn't unnerved by any of this.

Naruto squatted down, his eyes still on Sasuke. The wind had changed direction and blew from behind him. The number of bandages lashed towards Sasuke, like mock-tentacles.

"I was wondering what you'd do if I told you that I brought you here…"

Naruto paused, lips forming into a smirk.

"so I can break your arms and legs?"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Was that it?"

Naruto made a scoffing sound, a gesture of 'I-knew-you'd-say-that'.

"Or maybe stick a kunai through your stomach and run it up to your chest?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes upwards.

"Not feeling threatened? _Scared?_" Naruto plucked a blade of grass and nipped at it. His eyebrows were knit in curiosity and cockiness.

Sasuke turned his head to his side and gave a knowing smirk. His hands dug inside his pockets.

"Not a bit. You're too stupid to be able to pull it off anyways." He remarked, a bit expectant with having Naruto riled up and suddenly charging at him with fists clenched.

The last thing that came on his mind was laughter.

"Killing you would be hard, I can admit, Sasuke-kun. " Naruto had quit laughing as abruptly as it started.

"Of course, why would I…when one thing I desire is your body…" Naruto's face took an imperceptible shade.

"Sa-su-ke…kun…" The name went out in a singsong tone.

Somehow, Sasuke felt disgusted at how low Naruto became Orochimaru's puppet. _So that's it then? You've become a mini-Orochimaru yourself._

"You almost sound like that snake, you moron." Sasuke had stressed on the last word. "You want to steal my body for him?"

Naruto flashed his sharp teeth at him.

"Fuck Orochimaru, I don't give a damn about his needs…"

"Wha…"

"I'll have you for myself…and nobody else's." Naruto grinned, his indigo pupils taking on feral slits.

* * *

Sasuke had to admit, this part he was unprepared for.

He was expecting things like Naruto expressing his blatant loyalty to Orochimaru, and how he will accomplish that snake's will. Yes, and with the number of kinjutsus Naruto would have learned, he will easily sway Sasuke over blah blah blah…

But when he saw the hungry look Naruto suddenly directed at him, it was enough to set the Uchiha a few steps back.

"You're not even remotely funny, dobe…" Sasuke felt unnerved.

Naruto showed no sign of surprise at the vulnerability the other boy exuded.

"I'm not trying to." He was still hungrily leering at Sasuke.

Sasuke itched for a kunai right now; his hand was positioned just above his holster. One more step and screw the thing about saving the idiot blonde.

Naruto noticed the stance, and grinned to himself. Slowly, he walked towards Sasuke. The other boy, fully aware, finally took a kunai out and stood his ground.

"What, Sasuke-kun? Gonna stab me with that pointy knife?" The blond taunted.

Sasuke remained quiet, knit in concentration if the blond made any sudden movements.

The wind howled even more, Naruto's bandages were now lashing wildly in the air.

Sasuke still held his ground, crouched in an open stance.

Unexpectedly, a white strip of cloth snapped at Sasuke's left eye. The brunet took time to clutch at the sore area, unknowing that it would be his undoing.

Naruto took the opportunity and tackled the Uchiha unawares. Rolling a few good meters, both boys tried gaining the upper ground against the other.

Finally, the scuffle cleared; with Naruto hovering above Sasuke. The blond's blatant pleasure was visible with the confident smirk plastered on his face. Naruto had straddled the Uchiha by the hips, Sasuke's wrists held down secure by Naruto's hands.

Sasuke didn't know what to say (things happened so fast…) He thought he had read Naruto by now, but when he expressed self-interest, his imagery of Naruto being Orochimaru's puppet had been suddenly destroyed.

"What are you, really?" Sasuke gazed eye to eye with the blond.

"I am Naruto." The smirk was gone.

"I know who you are…but what are you?"

Indigo orbs suddenly took on an unexplainable depth.

"…" Naruto was silent.

* * *

Sasuke was still waiting for an answer.

And for a moment, Naruto turned towards him and his eyes glowed with unbidden tears.

There was neither more the haughtiness nor the hunger he displayed earlier.

Naruto plunged the distance between them and kissed Sasuke.

And with the warmth of his lips, Sasuke felt warm drops flow from the other boy's whiskered cheek to his own pale ones.

He felt a foreign tongue prodding his own, to join it in a dance they'd know by instinct.

Tentative.

Shy.

Naruto had lightened his grip on Sasuke's wrists when he wrestled him down.

Tanned hands slowly left its hold and joined the pale hands beneath them.

Entwined.

Joined.

Never letting go.

And then…

Sasuke's tears joined Naruto's own.

Salty streams converged and dripped into the earth.

Naruto's eyes were on Sasuke, and Sasuke's were on Naruto's. Both licked by tears that had passed. Still kissing, one remembering and the other, trying to remember.

_So bitter…_Sasuke thought. The taste had him wondering whether Naruto had been living off on bitter plants on his absence.

It was as if all bitter emotions were leaking out of the blond.

* * *

A few minutes passed before both parted. Sasuke's eyes were still soft from the kiss, whereas Naruto's indigo had hardened once again.

Sasuke could still feel the tentative massaging of Naruto's fingers on his hand. He still felt the soft _doki doki _of Naruto's heart. He could still acknowledge the warmth of Naruto's body on him.

The blond had begun to remove himself from the Uchiha. Sasuke had felt remarkably cold at the sudden disappearance of heat.

Both boys had stood up, everything was quiet again, unlike the few minutes ago where gasps and pants had shred the silence shared by the field and the fireflies.

"Goodbye, Sasuke…"

The Uchiha was forced to face the blond. A gentle smile graced his semi-throbbing lips,

"I'll kill you." Sasuke whispered, as if stating a fact and not a threat.

Naruto turned around, ready to leave. Bandages whipping wildly minutes ago had calmed down.

"And I, to you." He smiled, as if thankful of the other boy.

The blond had left their sanctuary.

Minutes later, Uchiha did the same.

And the fields turned quiet just as it did months before. When two boys stopped meeting each other by night to share a few stolen moments.

* * *


	27. Mental Labyrinths

Disclaimer: Herdeus doesn't own Naruto…AH! This is indeed terrible! Call the police! Call the SWAT! Call the President of the Masashi Kishimoto Owns Naruto Club! Herdeus must own Naruto! So Herdeus can replace the storyline with some good ol' SasuNaru lovin'!

Yo, everyone! Herdeus is back, but only a short while (grin). Thank you for taking the time to wait for the next update. Herdeus is really sorry for making everyone wait! (aura of repentance) But his real life responsibilities had to come first in priorities. Not that it didn't pay off; I was able to pass my ThesisA subject with flying colors! Now, Herdeus only has to worry for ThesisB and he's ready to return back writing SasuNaru goodness! (thinks of the wonderful thoughts)

Thank you for the wonderful and supportive reviews! (cries) I apologize to everyone for promising to send a personal reply but didn't make it. (Herdeus is a lazy bum! Bad author! XD) But please note that the author really treasures all the reviews sent to him! (It's really weird when he makes a tab on all the reviews he receives. Weird…but scary! 8p)

Herdeus realizes that he keeps putting off the exams just to add some filler stuff here and there. (gets bonked in the head by a one-ton proverbial hammer X.X) Ah, don't worry, the author made sure to finish the first exam in this chapter. I must do this or else forget about the plot after the Chuunin exams. I can assure everyone that Itachi and the others have bigger roles from now on. (hits himself in the head as a reminder Xp)

That said, I hope everyone will like this chapter!

-

Chapter 27: Chuunin Exams: Mental Labyrinths

-

First Day: Konoha Academy

"ALL RIGHT! ALL APPLICANTS SETTLE DOWN!"

Kurenai was ready to retire at the moment. She wondered whether agreeing to administer this year's chuunin exam was going to be the death of her physically or mentally…or better yet, both.

"Geez, for guys who want to become chuunin ninjas, you sure are a rowdy bunch." She said exasperatedly, the class now giving their full attention at her. Kurenai's complaining bought about a low round of whispering.

"ALL RIGHT! That's enough! We'll start this year's Chuunin exams. I am Kurenai, and I will be the administrator of the written exams!" She slammed her hands on the table, dispelling any form of noise and distraction at once.

"We will start the exams in a few moments! For those needing to their personal stuff or write their last will and testaments, ya' better do it now. Coz' this year's written exams will be quite…_prolonged, _shall we say?"

A few applicants shivered at the small ghost of a smile that flitted across Kurenai's features.

* * *

Kouryuu (Naruto) lazily glanced around, attempting to do a quick assessment of the applicants around him. He just sat in his seat, one eye doing all the work with his arms crossed on his chest.

Kabuto was sitting a few rows away, busying himself with constructing his new Nin cards set. There was a short moment when his eyes met with Kouryuu's, a small nod of acknowledgement, and he was back busying himself with his cards.

Mujina (Gaara) was dozing off, knees raised up on the table, his eyes momentarily opened when he sensed someone staring at him. Kouryuu's eyes flitted something of realization before nodding in soft acknowledgement. Mujina went back to his disturbed nap, though still sensing someone sending a heated stare at him.

"Hey, Naruto…uh…Kouryuu or something…"

The platinum blond momentarily abandoned his idea of amusement to fix his attention at the deep voice that disturbed him. And had the audacity to use his name.

"It's me, Kiba. Still remember?" The dog-nin offered a nervous smile.

Naruto continued to glare at him. "Why are you talking to me?"

"Ah. So you are Naruto. I was wondering if you weren't, your scent was way to familiar." Kiba grinned, more confident at the affirmation of the boy's identity. "Hey…you're not…uhm…really…REALLY…uh…"

The platinum blond swore he'd punch the living daylights out of Kiba if he continued stuttering. "One, you're downright annoying. Two, I did not say I am this person you call Naruto. Three, my name is Kouryuu as you speak earlier. And four, I was only speaking to you because it would be rude not to.

Kiba flushed, recognizing the sense of dominance the old Naruto used to portray around. However, before, it was like his style: wild, raw and uncontrolled. This Naruto could easily sway him over with giving the impression of a calm, cool and collected kind of person.

Conclusion: Not funny at all. Even in the least

Kiba decided to leave for a while. Sasuke had warned him of this. He was told Naruto was not Naruto, no matter how much he would want himself or anyone to believe it.

Kiba would leave the matter for another time. The fox smell was starting to annoy him anyway.

* * *

"ALRIGHT! Everyone settle down! We'll start the exams as of this moment. Anyone out of his or her seats will be disqualified!" Kurenai threatened, gaining the batch's attention in an instant.

"I am Yuhi Kurenai. You call me Kurenai-sensei." She lectured, writing her name in kanji characters on the board with a slightly damp chalk. "Normally, it would have been Ibiki-san to give out the exams, but we decided to make a few changes in this year's exams to make it more interesting."

"I want everyone to relax before we proceed. What I will attempt to do is to place everyone under a heavy genjutsu. I will need your total cooperation for this to work. This will be your test." Kurenai's crimson irises traveled the length of the room.

"Here's what will happen. After being placed under genjutsu, you will find yourself in a maze. The pathways will be like a T-maze, branching out in to only two possible options. What you will answer shall decide which route you will take in the maze. Of course, some questions will have right or wrong answers, others are merely character questions designed for self-evaluation." The genjutsu jounin was slightly amused at the sound of gulping she had heard from a couple of students.

"If you take the correct path of answers until the tenth question, you will be immediately dispelled of the genjutsu. This is a very, very easy exam. If you manage to dispel the genjutsu, you immediately pass the written exam. The time limit is…thirty minutes."

A series of grumbles began to erupt amongst a few students.

"Thirty minutes only. I would have given you fifteen minutes, but I'm feeling a bit merciful today. Thirty minutes and you do not manage to wake up from the genjutsu, and you immediately fail." She crossed her arms in a strict figure.

"Is everybody clear on the instructions?" She asked for the last time. "Anybody who does not submit to the genjutsu or resists it will be disqualified as well. Don't worry about security, we have a lot of chuunin and jounin security in standby."

A few nodded in appreciation, while others were taking big breaths to calm themselves.

Without warning, Kurenai's hands all and became a blur as she did seals super fast.

"_Magen: Zettai Edo Yawatashirazu no Akumu no jutsu!"_ (Demonic Illusion: Great Impure World Nightmare Maze Technique!)

* * *

"Ow…" Naruto rubbed his head, which seemed to throb. It just felt like he fell from a very high place and landed on the tatami mat he was lying on. Head first.

Carefully removing a few of the bandages on his face, leaving a lone strip to run over his nose bridge, he slapped himself and got up, a little less dazed than before.

The illusion presented him a world of black, brown and white. It was like a photonegative world splashed with a tint of sepia. Naruto glanced around and noted the tatami mat on his feet and the rice paper paintings that served as walls. A ceiling made from cherry wood boxed him in the hallway.

Standing up, he took the obvious path before him, squinting his eyes a bit to focus on a sign at the end of the hall. There was a question, along with an arrow pointed towards either the left or the right.

_1. Which would you prefer: snakes or ramen?_

_Snakes (left)_

_Ramen (right)_

Naruto scoffed, one eye raised at the question. Looking around, he made a small, disgruntled noise and went towards the right path.

It was another long hallway, and Naruto could see that at the end of it was another set of questions. He immediately attempted to turn around, and to his dismay, found a dead end behind him.

"How creative…a maze that doesn't allow backtracking." Naruto frowned. He immediately punched the wall, but to his surprise, found it as hard as punching very hard gelatin. It looked like an invisible force field absorbed the force of his punch, energy rippling from his knuckle.

He could hear other voices from behind the walls, however, and concluded that the other examinees were just on the other side. It could mean two things. One, is that these pathways could mean him meeting another examinee, and the other was that Gaara and Kabuto were here.

Which also meant Sasuke was here.

Naruto took his hand off and grinned ferally, maybe he could have a bit of fun during this exam. Maybe he might meet the Uchiha in one of these pathways. The thought excited him.

A little while, and he found himself standing before the next wooden sign. Naruto eyed question number two broodingly.

_2. What do you think is a valid reason for leaving your hidden village?_

_Someone you love cannot love you back (left)_

_People all around hate you (right)_

Naruto made no comment and went westward. Turning around, he wasn't a bit surprised when all he saw was a dead end. No turning back indeed.

By and by, the noises grew louder. The genjutsu depicted an enclosed area, so it was no wonder that the other examinees' chattering echoed within the illusion.

_3. If you found out your best friend left your hidden village, what will you do?_

_Let the hunter nins decide what to do (left)_

_Go after him and never give up (right)_

Naruto stood still, blankly staring at the sign as if willing it to burn just by glaring at it.

For the next few minutes, he made no attempt to move.

* * *

Sasuke wasn't in the least surprised when he felt pains usually associated with falling from high places. What he didn't want was the feeling of utter helplessness when being captured in a genjutsu. Talk about having the Sharingan and not use it to counter illusionary techniques. It was like holding your immune system back and letting viruses invade your system.

Sasuke grunted as he stood up and strode off his section of the maze. He could hear the somewhat muffled voices behind the walls, but he didn't give a crap about them. He understood the workings of this genjutsu.

Being a mass genjutsu, it was inevitable that those under its influence, and that meant all of them, would find themselves in this single place. Whether it was deliberate, in order to provide a venue for early conflicts between examinees, or not, maybe just to conserve chakra rather than creating separate individual illusionary mazes for each examinee; Sasuke preferred it being deliberate. Who knew, maybe he might meet Kouryuu/Naruto in this dank place?

_1. What would be the sole weakness of pure Ninjutsu users?_

_Genjutsu masters (left)_

_Taijutsu experts (right)_

Sasuke bit his lip down, as he turned right. He admitted this was pathetic. Why was he constantly chasing after the blond asshole? The boy had given him enough reasons for him to, if not kill him then, stick a kunai up his chest and do gruesome patterns with it. Using both hands. With a blunt, rusty kunai to boot.

Why should he uphold their friendship, if anybody had even the audacity to call their awkward camaraderie that, when he was the only one who believed in it? It had taken four years of intense missions, half of them life threatening, two years of forced hanging out, millions of hours in arguments and bickering, and thousands of cups of ramen and bowls of miso just for a sprout of rivalry and maybe-friendship to appear between them.

And for the unbelievable things in the world. Him! An Uchiha! Shouldn't he aspire to become the strongest shinobi in the village and, consequently, around the country? He should have thanked whatever god for taking the potential distraction away.

Uchihas were never meant to think about friendship. It only brought death towards those it possesses and pain to those that survive it. Sasuke frowned at the perfect example of his brother. If blood relations had driven the most powerful Uchiha of his generation to kill his entire clan, how much more would simple, not-blood-related friendships bring?

_2. Which organ is more appropriate for mutilation to ensure zero survival rate?_

_Kidney (left)_

_Liver (right)_

Sasuke turned right, mulling over a question. In a scenario like what they were in right now, should someone be blamed?

Naruto. He decided to follow his heart and dare to venture in emotions that could have been alien and unknown for him. The boy could have risked his all, that as much as Sasuke could assume from his talks with the blond once.

"_Sasuke is my friend, see? I can't bring myself to think what would happen if you'd be gone. I guess I probably will be gone to."_

The boy had said it so casually, and with the stupid grin to cover the nervousness apparently tagging along with a confession akin to a proclamation of trust and more-than-friendship.

He had said it almost as synonymous as Sasuke being his only reason to stay in the village now. Sasuke would've concluded it because of the worsening attacks Konoha did to their village's number one hyperactive ninja. One would think that time would have mellowed out the grievances of the past, but such was not the case of Konoha against Kyuubi's bearer.

Perhaps Naruto had given up his dream of being the village's protector and replaced it with something more realistic. To him anyway, if he counted that the object of his affections is his very own rival. And a boy to boot.

But maybe Naruto had the faith that he…could have understood. Sasuke felt elation enveloping his soul with the realization. Naruto had given him his trust and his future! Getting Naruto to trust these two things to somebody is harder than letting a mother sheep trust her infants to a den of wolves.

Yes, it was clear why Naruto gladly trusted him. Naruto was wild, yet tamed. He was a person of impulse, and yet knew self-control. That time, at the bridge of Tazuna, had sparked the chain of events. When upon impulse, he saved Naruto, he had brought himself between Haku's assault and Naruto's shocked form. When asked why he saved him, Sasuke had only answered that he didn't know. Couldn't know. And might have never known.

It could be that because, by saving Naruto that day, Sasuke had shown that he cared about Naruto's ambition. To become Hokage and to have people acknowledge him. A dream that even Naruto realizes was hopeless and easily subjected to abandonment. But because of Sasuke, he felt a warm flame that ignited his dreams once more. Sasuke wanted Naruto to continue his dream, no matter how stupid and hopeless it sounded.

Sasuke had seen that day a glint in the eyes of the blond dobe. He couldn't seem to comprehend it, but only found it in the premature days of their academy when Naruto had set his eyes on his crush, Sakura or when he snuck around and saw Naruto indulging himself to some free ramen handed to him by their instructor Iruka.

Now, those persons lost the place for that special glint in his blue eyes. Sasuke realized it when he would gaze onto those azure depths. It disturbed him quite a bit, because, one, he couldn't confront Naruto about it, he had to settle quarreling with him to dispel that glint away, and, two, because he liked being the target of that glint, because he liked it that Naruto was giving him that sort of attention.

That glint being the promise of being there and protecting him when doesn't need it, taking care of him when he will not ask, remembering his birthday when Sasuke wouldn't want to remember it for himself. All in all, doing stupid things that one would waste effort upon to make people realize that they care.

And Naruto cared for Sasuke, did stupid things, one that was majorly stupid and became fatal for their friendship and Naruto's sanity. And Sasuke failed to see. Failed to catch the blond when everything fell on him, around him, and himself.

Failed to understand. And that was where Sasuke failed Naruto.

* * *

Naruto was bought up from his reverie, when for the first time, he heard, and felt footsteps behind him.

Sasuke momentarily looked up from his striding to register the person in front of him.

"Uchiha." Naruto had said the name in a simple tone. Curt and unpretentious.

The other merely opened his mouth to speak, but held it for a few seconds.

"Kouryuu…or Uzumaki?" He muttered, audible enough for the platinum blond.

Naruto would have smiled at the consideration if he weren't partly controlled by a pale-skinned, slit-eyed freak that sought divinity by gaining ultimate knowledge of every jutsu that existed. Every emotion drained out of him as the soul binding jutsu kicked its effects in.

"Naruto. At least for this moment." He slid the name with the same deathly tone.

"Nice." Was all Sasuke could manage to say.

"Hn…"

"Good."

"Guess so."

"…"

"…"

Sasuke decided to cut the soundless argument and ran an eye at the question present at the blond's side.

_3. If you found out your best friend left your hidden village, what will you do?_

_Let the hunter nins decide what to do (left)_

_Go after him and never give up (right)_

"This seems familiar." Sasuke intentionally glanced at the blond, his mouth resisting a smirk from happening. Naruto made no comment, but stood still, mulling the question again and again.

"Don't tell me you can't even answer a question that has no right or wrong answers. That would prove your complete idiocy." Sasuke frowned, finding the whole matter stupid. The question was as synonymous as someone asking what your favorite color was. Would your answer be wrong if you said blue, and he wanted red?

"That's not the point." Naruto blandly countered. "What I want to answer would go…if I would want to do the right thing or not."

"Would you let hunter nins do their job, or would you do it yourself and never lose hope?" Sasuke sniffed. "This isn't about heroics, nor is it evaluating your character. Your answer should go how you feel about now, and what the best course of action you think is most suitable."

"You don't get the point." Naruto scratched a non-existent rash in the exposed part of his arm.

"But, of course I do. If you asked me this question years ago, I'd go for the left choice without any doubt. Now, asking me this question, I'd have no choice but to go right."

Naruto snorted. "You always have a choice, in the past, now or in the future."

Sasuke readily took the right path, pulling a feint on leaving the blond. "I don't. Have an option, I mean. It's because I already took the choice, and just like this maze, you can't go back and make another choice. The only thing I can do is to make best of what I have chosen."

Naruto took one last glance at the question, before walking up beside the right hallway.

Sasuke could distinctly hear him muttering about killing his best friend himself if that ever happened towards him.

He smiled.

* * *

Tsunade gazed longingly from across the room. She could see Naruto slacking off into space; his eye with the uncharacteristic blank look one would associate when captured in a genjutsu. She had thought it would do no harm to at least visit the exam site just for the occasion.

"Hokage-sama…" An almost sibilant voice came from behind her.

The woman turned around in an instant, finding herself face to face with a man covered in bandages, almost in the same fashion as Naruto's, who looked like he was in his twenties.

"Forgive me for interrupting. I am Gen'yumaru, Kouryuu…or rather, Naruto-kun's jounin mentor." He bowed slightly. Tsunade gave her the suspicious eye, but dropped the issue in favor of going back to her activity of blond-sight seeing.

"What do you want?" Tsunade spoke after a few moments.

Gen'yumaru glanced towards her with his lone eye momentarily before returning back to the blond. "I just don't understand the issues surrounding…his defection from your village. Nor why aren't you doing anything to take him back."

Tsunade turned her attention towards the tanned jounin. "Am I mistaken, or are you a rare specie among the Sound villagers?" She raised a skeptic eyebrow. "It almost seems as if you have noble ambitions for Naruto."

"Perhaps." Gen'yumaru didn't take his eye from the boy across the room. "Then again, I can tell Naruto is special. It's a big loss for your village when he decided to run away."

"A Sound jounin shouldn't concern himself with matters surrounding other hidden villages." Tsunade replied as a matter-of-factly.

"Quite right, Hokage-sama..." Gen'yumaru turned around and walked away.

"…But should it concern anybody from my team, then it is within my discretion to enter the fray as well. Would you like some tea, Hokage-sama?"

Tsunade smiled almost knowingly, before walking towards the waiting jounin.

"That could be one thing we can agree upon. I'd appreciate green tea very much."

Gen'yumaru continued on forwards, Hokage following him. He smiled wistfully.

"I know."

* * *

"Would you?"

Naruto glanced up towards Sasuke. The raven-haired boy had asked

"Huh?"

Sasuke fixed his attention on the sign at the end of their pathway.

"Kill…your best friend. If he ever ran away."

Naruto looked thoughtful. He took special attention at the way his feet moved.

"I answered the question the way you told me to. What felt right to do at that single moment when being asked by that question. Why?"

Sasuke refused to answer further. He just made a small, satisfied sound that seemed to say _nice of you to follow my advice. _His sandals made weird squeaking noises against the tatami mat as he moved along.

"You do know we're still enemies…right?" The blond asked uncertainly.

Sasuke gave a small nod.

"Y'know. The type that wants the other person dead. And yes, I suppose, they'd have to do it dramatically with shurikens and kunais and jutsus and actually decimate half a meter of the area before a victor stands out, stepping on the loser's charred corpse and looking all dazzling and crap."

Sasuke uncommonly snorted. "That type of scene is reserved for me and for my brother. I was thinking a simple slap and you screaming out girlishly before fainting on the spot would suffice."

Naruto bared his fangs, a bit riled with the comment. "Screaming girlishly? I'm sure that's gonna be your job if you become Orochimaru's bitch."

"The only time 'Sasuke' and 'screaming girlishly' appears in one sentence is when the words 'will never go' appear between them. And because you take pride bringing these things up, I'm sure you appreciated being one under Orochimaru."

Naruto missed a step before regaining composure. "Guess so. Orochimaru knows power when he sees one. He knows hatred…running away…revenge…and blood lust."

Sasuke frowned at the confession. Then again, there were just guys born evil…and brought up evil. He shook his head at the first category, but he sure did turn an eye at the second one. Naruto's environment somehow fit the prerequisites snugly.

Naruto's meek voice uttered those four words.

"He loved me Sasuke…"

And then it came.

"**BULLSHIT!**" The unmistakable release of heat from those words was evident.

Naruto stared wide-eyed at the suddenly released profanity.

And so did Sasuke.

* * *

"And to think I thought of you differently, Gen'yumaru-san."

Tsunade frowned at the Sound jounin, as she sipped on her green tea. The two found themselves momentarily at Ichiraku's. Gen'yumaru had cheerfully ordered a bowl of ramen…or maybe a couple more. Tsunade would have almost smiled, reminded of the antics of Naruto once. And then the jounin had to bring something up.

"He loves Naruto." The Sound shinobi confirmed what he said earlier, still piling noodles to his mouth with chopsticks. He abandoned the bandages covering his face in favor of eating as of the moment.

"That is just so typical of Orochimaru." Tsunade decided an order of takoyaki would go well with her tea. "You and I know he's not capable of that anymore. I know he's queer when were just teens, but…"

"Master Orochimaru treats Naruto like a glass slipper. For lack of more appropriate terms, he uses him quite often but is afraid he'd break if it would be too much." Gen'yumaru spoke as if he was Orochimaru himself.

"That's just it. He treats people like they're just…things. If they're no longer of any use, he'd just throw them and find other fun things to play with." Tsunade eyed the flour balls before her being fried to a golden brown. She gazed at them longingly.

"Your grudge against Orochimaru-sama is a bit discomforting." The Sound jounin eyed the Hokage wearily, as if one minute she'd go incoherent and snap his neck with a single hand.

_And here you are still eating ramen like your appetite was affected._ Tsunade mocked. "I know other people who have grudges against him greater than mine. And I'm sure they haven't even met him yet. Heard just by name no doubt, and all the things he's been doing…"

Gen'yumaru smiled, as if he knew something. "I'm sure Orochimaru-sama only gives his attention to those who can _actually kill him._ And to those that would make good allies."

Tsunade received the proffered balls of octopus tentacles and flour batter. Munching on one, she gazed thoughtfully into the sauce like a voyeur would do to her bowl of water.

"And Naruto? Where does he belong?"

Gen'yumaru finished his sixth ramen bowl, saying his thanks to the chef. Wiping his lips, he drank his tea and inhaled its essence.

"Neither. He's above what I said. Orochimaru-sama practically risked his life binding his soul with the boy's. It's the greatest gesture of trust he can afford, and just shows how confident he is that the boy won't easily die on him." His tone softened more and more as he spoke.

"For a jounin mentor," Tsunade slipped another takoyaki ball on her mouth. "you are quite...well-informed."

Gen'yumaru said nothing to that, gave a gesture close to a smile, and continued fixing the bandages on his face. Eating outside was taxing on his attire.

* * *

"Oh my. And to think I thought Sasuke-kun went only as far as 'moron', 'idiot' and 'dead last'. Now your vocabulary includes bullshit. Pray, tell me how many more profanities have you learned over the past few months." Naruto's demeanor turned serious at once.

Sasuke kept quiet, focusing on their pathway. This hallway seemed longer than he thought. And what did his outburst just mean a few minutes ago?

"Tsk. At least Orochimaru-sama never gave me the cold shoulder. On the contrary, he never gave me anything cold. It was always _hot…_" Naruto grinned evilly, noticing the slight shudder that crept up the Uchiha.

"He…doesn't love you." Sasuke gritted out, teeth being gnashed against each other.

"And…you give a fuck because?" Naruto trailed off with the last word, his hands now held behind him as he walked, like a professor would.

"Naruto's my friend." Sasuke had spoken almost too surely. Too confidently. The other glanced away, lips playing a disbelieving and amused smirk. What an un-Uchiha-like answer.

"Oh. Was he?" Naruto braced his stomach as he chortled a bit shortly after the question. "Tell me, did he have indigo eyes like mine? Did he enjoy killing people for sport? Does he give a damn if he was called a fuck toy or a whore? A mongrel?"

Sasuke's face hardened in an instant. There was only so much he can stomach when Naruto decided to cannibalize words he didn't even realize the blond had the intellectual capacity to use. Then again, who was the Naruto he knew all those years?

"I asked you a few days ago. And you did not answer. Now, TELL ME! What are you!" Sasuke exploded, his eyes threatening to form the familiar tomoe-patterned wheel of the Sharingan.

Naruto walked away, hands dug inside his pocket. He was clearly not going to answer Sasuke, as his face displayed a confident smirk. An air of superiority that boasted _you're not clearly on my level, so why should I answer you?_

Sasuke let out a battle cry, a roar of some sort as he did a running tackle and aimed for the blond's torso. Naruto turned around in time with an evil grin in his face and his irises a bit more pointed, much to Sasuke's surprise, before both of them were in a roll down the hallway.

After a few seconds of scuffling, Sasuke was very much horrified to realize he was on the receiving end of his surprise attack. Naruto had Sasuke under him, both arms restrained by the other boy's own. There was a maniacal gleam on the other's lips.

"You ask, what I am, Sasuke-kun?" Naruto leered closer towards his face, as near as being able to feel the heat being emanated by Sasuke's pale skin. "I'll tell you what I am, yes indeed."

"I am Uzumaki Naruto, incarnate of a dead boy's memories. I am the shadow that he held down in favor of his ambition and dreams. All the spite and vengeance he felt behind the mask he wore has molded and created me. I am his hate. I am his dark desire. I will fulfill everything he failed to attain. I will destroy everything he despised and everything he loved." Naruto reveled, enjoying the other boy's horrified expression.

"You, Sasuke-kun," Naruto slowly increased his grip on Sasuke's wrists every second. "unfortunately, stand on both accounts. You are his hate, you are his love. You are the object of his desire and his lust. I'll make sure you suffer the most!"

"You destroyed him! You pathetic piece of shit! You killed him! You killed me!" Naruto enjoyed the small whimper that betrayed Sasuke's pained expression. "Your stuck up, little prissy ass wasn't worth his life! MY LIFE! You didn't deserve his attention and his love! I swear on his memories that I will consume your soul."

For a minute, Sasuke swore he saw black all around the both of them, like being consumed by the darkest flames the universe was capable of creating. Naruto was literally shouting in front of his face.

"You're worthless. Moronic, little satan-spawn-FUCK!"

Naruto winced, one eye closed as he immediately set to work dissipating the throbbing pain that originated in his torso. Sasuke had managed to knee him in the stomach.

"Incarnate? That is just so over-clichéd; you are making this overly dramatic! So what if your love life failed you? You're gonna start going at it and destroying everything you see! Only you have the potential of making small things big, idiot!"

Sasuke was satisfied to see the figure above him contemplating his words. His face was hidden beneath the shadow of his hair, only a slight frown marring the calmness of his face.

And then a fist came crashing sideways into the Uchiha's face. Hard. Swift. Blood literally dripped from the fist. The blond brought it to his lips and lapped at it hungrily.

Naruto's overly grinning face came into view once more. Madness reflecting in his eyes, madness that could only be attained when psyches were warring inside of you.

"The fuck you care? I have the power to do so, the power to destroy. I've held my hate back enough. My dignity is shattered; my word has no value anymore."

Naruto leaned forward, just near enough Sasuke's ear.

"And guess what? I'm taking his word back about destroying this village. I figured that you'd take no particular care…but I tell you. I will destroy this village, and everyone in it. Everyone Naruto loved. I'll destroy his ambitions and his desire."

He laughed, madly. With eyes stricken in delusions of grandeur.

He was right, Sasuke thought. He didn't give any particular damn about the village. He would have let it burn for all he cared.

And then…he had to say those words. _Everyone Naruto loved…his ambitions and his desire._

Sasuke knew his duty of protecting Naruto's future. Naruto had given him his trust once! And though he did a lousy job once, he wouldn't fail him again.

If Naruto was indeed dead, as this avatar before him claimed, then he would do it for the memory of the Naruto he knew. The Naruto he cherished.

"I won't…allow you…" Sasuke gritted, spitting out the blood draining from his lips. Naruto's momentary lapse into euphoria halted, his attention trained at the struggling genin.

"I won't let you destroy his dreams! I will protect his future! The future he trusted me with!"

Sasuke gave a strong punch that slightly lifted the blond off him. Naruto braced the pain that once again flowed in his body.

"I won't do it for anyone else! Not for me! Not for this village!" He snarled, each sentence punctuated by a punch. "I'll do it for the Naruto I knew! The memory of the Naruto I cherished as a friend!"

Naruto blocked the last punch and countered by rebounding the force back to Sasuke. The Uchiha threw the force sideways, his arm grazing the force field of the wall that enclosed them.

Sasuke winced at the pain that shot from his left arm, clutching it with his other hand. The area was turning red from the friction.

Naruto smirked, walking slowly towards Sasuke. The other couldn't do anything until the blond was but a few inches in front of him.

"_Kai…"_ (Release…)

The blond immediately took a hold of Sasuke's right arm, and without warning, pulled it from its socket. The pain Sasuke felt was enough to cause him to black out.

* * *

"AGH!"

Sasuke immediately shot up from his seat, eyes stricken from imaginary pain. He immediately clutched both of his arms, checking the left for friction burns and the other for socket detachment. He momentarily realized they were inside the illusion of Kurenai, the wounds were nothing but imaginary.

Naruto momentarily woke up, his eyes exhibiting the signs of just waking up. Unlike Sasuke however, who was glaring daggers at him as of the moment, he chose to just focus his attention at the chuunin that wrote his and Sasuke's name on a clipboard.

An alarm clock signaled the end of the thirty minutes. Kurenai released the genjutsu, and the rest of the unawakened mass began to stir.

"The exam is finished. Out of seventy, forty-two managed to pass." She glanced from her clipboard towards the other people who didn't pass. "Haven't you been listening to my instructions?"

"_If you take the correct path of answers until the tenth question, you will be immediately dispelled of the genjutsu. This is a very, very easy exam. **If you manage to dispel the genjutsu, you immediately pass the written exam.**_"

"I wasn't necessarily asking you to finish answering the tenth question. If you noticed, your third, fourth or fifth questions took a long time to reach. You should have known the discrepancy of this test."

"Real shinobis don't do things fairly most of the time. We deal in stealth, covert actions, and sometimes as low as cheating to obtain our goals. If you can't live with the fact that one day you'll have to stoop as low as criminals to get what you want, then you aren't fit being called ninjas." Her crimson irises traveled to the obviously shamed part of the group.

"Sometimes, honor is not necessarily important. If you want to live, be prepared to sacrifice. Life is no bed of roses. Even if it is for a few others, remember that roses have thorns. You are candidates for shinobi, because you have the ability to do things normal civilians cannot. But it doesn't mean that everything is easy for us, and most of the time, it's even harder for us than those living a normal life and a boring job."

She sighed, giving out the lesson of her exam. Next time Hokage-sama came to her requesting for a job like this again, she'd rather have her shinobi license taken away.

"Next part of the exams will be next week. Be sure to arrive at the gates of the Forest of Death on time in the afternoon." She exited the room without another say.

Sasuke sighed, slouching in his seat. Kiba and Sakura managed to get out of the genjutsu on an earlier time. (Sakura immediately caught on with the test, and she immediately passed after a few seconds since the test.)

Naruto slowly neared the unsuspecting Uchiha. Passing by...placing his lips near Sasuke's ears. Just softly enough, his breath created coherent words.

"It's been fun fucking with your mind…Sasuke-kun."

The cold voice slid by, Kouryuu's cocky grin in place. Mujina and Kabuto had gone before him, the blond behind them. Their instructor came to fetch them; both Kouryuu and the man named Gen'yumaru gave him the same eye before they went their ways. One was of hidden lust and the other unadulterated desire.

Naruto's cold laughter still rang in his head.

* * *

Ah! I'm really sorry for those I can't reply to. You know who you are guys! Don't forget to leave some lovely reviews for me, kay? Herdeus chomps down good reviews faster than he can with chocolate kisses! (hm...chocolate...)

Until next time! And remember, save the kittens! Herdeus adores the kittens that are Sasuke and Naruto. Updates are a regular two or three weeks!


	28. A Pervert's Lessons on Love

**Disclaimer:** Noooo! Where have all the good episodes gone to? Herdeus is currently disappointed with the rampant spread of evil filler episodes in the Naruto universe! Filler episodes must die! No matter what their function might be, they are evil! Aliens have created evil filler episodes to discourage Naruto fans and take the opportunity to rule the world with their mind-bending tricks!

Uhurm, well anyway…kyaah! Herdeus-kun is back! With a new version of this story! One of my colleagues say it was a bit insane of me to invest so much time on this baby, but I smacked the 200+ reviews on his face to effectively shut him up. –smugly grins- Herdeus would like to thank everyone who sent reviews, especially those that stayed with me from Chapter 1, your review added the most bulk to the envelope I smacked my colleague with. XD

I've been receiving quite a lot of reviews saying that they enjoy the idea of evil Naruto. Herdeus thinks so as well, and is quite happy people share this opinion with him. –grin- Without further ado, I present Chapter 27.

**Stuff I'll be using that aren't mine:** "underneath the underneath". I forgot who's line this author belongs to…wait, I mean whose author this line belongs to. Herdeus credits whoever you are that I have unforgivably forgotten. Eheh. –grins his boyish grin-

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Chapter 28 – A Pervert's Lessons On Love

-

Kyuubi enjoys talking to Naruto.

It wasn't like those Sunday showbiz talks where the host sits in one chair while the person in question was being grilled on his seat with questions about scandals related to him.

No, Kyuubi wasn't as base as that.

The imagery inside Naruto's mind would change often. Kyuubi had been witness to all of them, for after all, he was a wanderer of his host's subconscious. Oftentimes, it was a dark, bloodied battlefield when he was fighting. Trees burnt to the ground, swords and bodies jutting out of the ground, and the wind tracing patterns in the burnt and blood-offered sands. The smell of burning corpses and rusting armor was intoxicating albeit terrifying to the necrophobic.

Now, Kyuubi enjoyed their talks, as it was only possible one, when he was asleep, and two, when Naruto had the time to spare instead of his usual dreams. It was the simple act that somebody was conversing with him, sharing his daily experiences and lessons learned. And that in itself was already rare.

Sometimes the setting would be in a country house. The two would be situated in the porch of the newly white-washed home, fronting a large flower meadow. The sun was not harsh, but seemed to caress them with its warm embrace. The wind would bring with it the fragrances of the hundred blossoms it flew over to reach the two. Naruto and he would then enjoy talking things over a batch of Victorian black tea and some cookies and crumpets.

And there was the time when the blond had abandoned civilization for nature's simplicity. He and the blond would just sit under the shade of a large tree, maybe oaken or sometimes that of a ginkgo, growing on top of a mountain cliff. The sun would not reach through the clouds, but the sky was bright. From a far away, Kyuubi would hear the pounding of the sea, the wind from the ocean bringing with it the subtle scent of brine and salt. There, Kyuubi and the blond had social niceties, often with tea and small cakes, sometimes coffee and cookies.

When it would be Naruto's birthday, and the blond chose to bury himself under the few layers of his blanket in bed and attempt to suffocate himself (to no avail), the sceneries changed to that of a festival almost similar to a summer's night. Japanese lanterns glowing in red were scattered across the avenues, faceless people walking past the twosome, faceless people served them their favorite okonomiyaki, takoyaki or dango, faceless people gave them the gifts they won over a shooting game, faceless people conversed with them over silly things, faceless people prayed with them in some nameless temple.

The blond's world was as multi-layered as the one he was living in right now.

And so it came as a surprise to Kyuubi when he opened his eyes to the environment that was Naruto's mind.

The world suddenly seemed less dynamic. It was nighttime, when the moon is at its fullest. There was no sound from the wind, no sound from the trees, and no sound from birds of the nocturnal types. It was almost abnormally quiet for night time in a village endowed with a large population.

And then, there he was. The pond, the shoji doors, the wooden floors, the rice mats, the antique tables and even the table with the book Sasuke had read…wait…

This was the Uchiha manor! The place Uchiha Sasuke had grown up! The place of the bloodline more cursed than his blood! The place…

Kyuubi felt a pang of dread, even if only just a bit…

Naruto was glaring at him from the darkness inside the manor.

* * *

The kitsune shifted from his position, hovering slightly above the pond water.

"I see the weeks have changed you…how fair's the life of Konoha's traitor?" Kyuubi made his glib sound like a joke, a friendly smile gracing his lips.

The blond still glared, his arms in his chest, his lips in a disgusted sneer.

"Ow…why give me the cold shoulder? I haven't done anything in the slightest since…"

"You conversed with the Uchiha right here. In this night. In this place." He spoke of the issue like it was the fact.

"_Without any of my knowledge."_

"…the time I came to talk with the Uchiha kid." Kyuubi finished, as if unperturbed by Naruto's interruption.

Naruto grew irate, a quality long forgotten since the time of the seal of Orochimaru's.

The blond had stepped out from the covers provided by the shadows, and treaded towards the kitsune. His feet made no contact with the water too, albeit the waters rippled from the disturbance.

Now, Kyuubi was a hell lot taller than the blond would have wished for. This, the yokai, took by heart. Naruto had always made the height issue a big one. Especially when he was reading doujinshis when he was younger. The taller male always seemed to dominate the smaller, more feminine like male in his comics.

Naruto had to look up to the Kyuubi's height, his eyes reflecting intense hatred. Kyuubi had to hold the mirth forming in his lips, or else it would have betrayed the moment. He enjoyed Naruto's emotions, flitting across his mind like summer storms over a field. One moment it seems like the end of the world, and a minute after the sun shines through and heaven takes its place.

"You will not interfere." There was venom in his voice.

"You will not interfere, and ruin the plans I had built and set to motion the moment I entered this damned village…do we understand each other?" Naruto seethed, as if speaking to Kyuubi was a great effort in itself.

Kyuubi lost all glamour of his human persona, the illusion of the Uchiha manor in itself was destroyed in an instant. The area had begun to morph into the nostalgic prison of the Kyuubi long before he was set to freely roam Naruto's mind.

"**Don't speak to me like I'm lower than you, gaki. Or do you forget who I am." **The yokai roared in the confines of Naruto's mind, regaining the commanding and serious aura he surrendered when he turned sub-human. His majestic form towered over the blond, his eyes slit like that of a canine beast's.

Naruto flinched, forgetting the terrible and regal image of the Kyuubi in his true form. He felt hesitance and trepidation niggling at the back of his mind, and his lips curled into distaste.

"**Well I'm glad you still remembered how to be afraid, gaki" **Kyuubi spat his name with the same degree of venom Naruto applied earlier. **"You wouldn't know the things I had planned to do just to evoke that long forgotten emotion…"**

The Kyuubi stopped, surprise in his eyes. Naruto was grinning like an idiot before him. The demon's eyes traveled to his left arm, recognizing the scent of blood, and saw the dripping liquid flow in a generous amount to the floor.

"Hegh, hegh…fear?" Naruto slurred in a twisted tone. "I mock at the word!"

Kyuubi looked around, suddenly becoming very uncomfortable with the situation. His ears had turned wary at the sounds of hissing around them. And from the number of hisses, it didn't look like one or two dropped by.

There were millions of eyes looking at both of them, their hissing growing to a noisy proportion. The Kyuubi's sanctuary had become a den for snakes.

But no, they weren't Orochimaru's snakes, Kyuubi can sense to whom they owed their authority. They were Naruto's! The boy had the audacity to use his blood pets against him!

"I repeat, _Kyuubi-kun._" Naruto flicked his arm with the last drop of blood that bled from it. "You will not interfere. I cannot afford any losses in my part."

Kyuubi returned to his former humanoid state, apparently irritated. Naruto smugly walked away, back to the encroaching darkness that swallowed him. The snakes followed suit, eyes suddenly disappearing, pair by pair. Until at last, the fox demon was left alone in the darkness. Again.

The pool of blood lay interestingly before him. Kyuubi walked over, interested by the scent of it. After all, it was what he regaled in for quite his lifetime now. Kyuubi, in his darker aspect, had come to love and even obsess over that scent.

The liquid reflected images like a red mirror of sorts. Images of a crying Naruto, a dying Sasuke, Orochimaru almost killing Tsunade with his Kusanagi, a dying Sasuke, Konoha burning down, a dying Sasuke, the villagers chasing him away, a crying Naruto…and most of all…

…_a dying Sasuke._

…_Because Naruto had driven a sword up through him._

Kyuubi knew what was before him. It was Naruto's fear.

Could Naruto have seemingly forgotten what it means to be afraid?

Kyuubi knew this was bad. Especially by human standards. He had read about this in some old parchment in a temple of some foreign tongue.

_Because when humans fail to fear, they think like gods…and that notion in itself is already dangerous. Because demons were the first to think of that idea, and now look where it got all of them. Millions of feet below the ground, into the unquenchable flames of inferno. How much more for mere mortals?_

Kyuubi shuddered. He knew he shouldn't start believing things he read…

…but the explicit details on men being thrown into limbo, in a state of suspended animation, because of their delusions of thinking and acting like gods…They thought of things forbidden for minds like theirs, created abominations even demons stayed away from, sought _and would have attained_ perfection from a life they were supposed to live for and die to…

…it was enough to send shivers down the great demon fox. After all, it was better to feel something than not feeling at all, right? He would have to do something about Naruto's worsening condition. Otherwise…

Limbo might not be a long shot after all. After all, the union of man and demon was already a thing worthy to be marked for banishment from neither heaven nor hell.

But…

…there was that gleam in his eyes. The one that told Naruto had a plan.

Kyuubi had learned to always trust that special gleam in his eyes. It was neither lonely or cocky, or even remotely conspicuous. It was only seen when you delved deep into those indigo skies people called his eyes. It was like a plan that had no blueprints, save for a large sentence stamped in it saying 'THIS PLAN WILL WORK OR I'LL BE DAMNED IF IT DOESN'T!' Kyuubi always had to look in Naruto's eyes to reassure his dwindling confidence in the blond back to tolerable levels.

And the gleam he found there was totally overwhelming in a sense.

Kyuubi found himself sitting down and waited. His doubts had suddenly shrunk to insignificant levels.

Now all he had to do was wait for the time. And demons had all the time in the world to wait.

* * *

It was a good thing Sasuke hadn't taken to his sensei about his punctuality.

The white-haired goof, notorious to his being late for sometimes even more than the actual appointments with his student, arrived three hours late from their agreed time of seven o' clock.

Sasuke and Sakura, already impervious with their teacher's habit, had come prepared and had bought food for breakfast and brunch.

Kiba was a different story, however. Nobody told him about Kakashi-sensei's little quirk with being on time, and had suffered the morning without his breakfast. Of course, bearing the pride of being a Konoha shinobi, he valiantly fended off Sakura's diplomatic attempts of sharing her food. Sasuke just gave him the eye and continued nibbling on his onigiri.

Kiba made a half-ass comment on Sasuke's gluttony and was inwardly wishing Sasuke's thermos would tip over the bridge and he'd suddenly choke. Sakura would then grab the chance to run over towards him and give him her thermos, and Kiba would 'accidentally' slip his foot in to the kunoichi's path. Sakura would then fall flat on her face and her large forehead would cause the bridge to collapse, causing Sasuke to fall to the icy waters below. Then Sasuke would die by drowning and choking all at once!

His thoughts of pure hurt to the other brunet were chased away when he saw a disinterested Sasuke hand an onigiri to Akamaru. The dog's stomach must have been growling all this time, and with Akamaru's size to that of a horse, it wasn't remotely faint to hear even to the hard at hearing.

"Ack! Sasuke, you bastard! You don't just give something to my dog!" Kiba flailed his arms, pure panic and shock written all over his horrified face. Akamaru had gobbled the whole thing, licking his lips, and giving out a satisfied yip! yip!

Sasuke gave him the disinterested Uchiha-look. "Your dog needed the nourishment, stupid. Akamaru's stomach was growling hours ago."

"You idiot! What if you gave something Akamaru was allergic to?" Kiba flailed on, worry over his dog.

"Well, for one, Akamaru is a nin dog. Do you even think he'd eat the onigiri if he sniffed something he was _allergic _to? Secondly, Akamaru is our teammate. You're his partner. Shouldn't you be taking more care of Akamaru? Like, say, oh I don't know…_maybe feeding him on time_?" Sasuke spiked the last five words with sarcasm.

"Hey, listen asshole! It's not our fault we weren't able to eat! When Kakashi-sensei said seven o' clock, we thought he meant seven o' clock! Not three hours after seven o' clock!" Kiba growled, eyes on the Uchiha bastard. Akamaru also growled, or rather…his stomach did.

"C'mon guys, let's not resort to fighting. We'll be spending energy we should be doing so for today. Remember, Kakashi-sensei had requested we meet him today to send us off." Sakura tried to mediate. Inner Sakura lashed out Kakashi-sensei's evil habit of making his students suffer.

"I don't even recall why we keep following that lazy jounin's order. I mean, we're understandingly chuunins, even nearing jounin level. I'll be glad when that stupid pervert is finally off my back when I'm chuunin…" Sasuke muttered to himself. Sakura almost wished he was talking to them, Sasuke still remained anti-social to her and his new teammate.

"Don't talk about Kakashi-sensei like that you jerk!" Kiba accusingly pointed at him.

Sasuke smiled that smug Uchiha smile.

"Suck. Up. Or rather, teacher's _pet?_"

Kiba saw nothing but red at that comment. Akamaru buried his eyes underneath his paws.

"Yo." A grunted voice greeted them.

"You're late!" Kiba and Sakura turned towards him, yelling as they pointed their fingers at the obviously sleep-deprived jounin.

Nostalgia had hit Sasuke hard on his pretty boy face.

"Well, see, I was about to come here and on my way, an alien spaceship came in and beamed me up their mother ship! And then, they did funny things like juggle balls and do a puppet show in front of me! All of a sudden, they took a coin off of my pocket and dropped me somewhere in Hidden Wave Country! As I fell into a large inland lake, they dropped a receipt along, saying something along the lines of enjoying their transport service, and the coin was for the fare. A large monster came out of nowhere and dragged me down her underwater cave and asked if I wanted to have coffee with her. Who could say no? So I took my time and she even gave me cookies after having coffee with her. But then, when I swam out of the cave, the cookies got soggy so I threw it away. The monster got angry and started to chase me out of the water."

_Tick…tick…tick…_ Small dots ran above the heads of the three genins who furtively were trying to entertain themselves with other things aside from the tall tale their teacher was making up.

"So I swam inside an underground tunnel and exited upwards a well. I was surprised when a princess suddenly grabbed me and shouted things about wishing wells and sending the perfect guy for her. But this princess was the princess of Buck-tooth kingdom! So I ran away, telling her she would find her dream boys in their royal stables! She got flustered and set her buck-toothed royal guards with their buck-toothed hounds after me! Good thing there was a taxi nearby and I told him to take me back here to Konoha. But suddenly, there was this group of pygmy Amazons…"

_Tick…tick…ding!_

"Kakashi-sensei, why are you late?" Sasuke asked, straight to the point.

Their teacher scratched the back of his head, his visible eye arching up in a merry manner some might found endearing and others, irritating.

"Uhm…I was up all night reading Icha Icha Violence…"

Never was Sakura looking more murderous than Inner Sakura inside her. Kiba looked ready to decay from the story's farfetchedness. Sasuke muttered something about perverted teachers with their perverted novels.

Above the trees, overlooking the bridge, hidden among the foliage, Naruto merely smirked.

* * *

"Itadaikimasu!"

Kakashi merely grinned (it was obvious with his eyes) as his team dug in with the feast lain before them. They found themselves at Iruka's house, eating a large banquet set just for them. Just for them! There were slices of ham slathered in thick syrup, boiled lobster flayed expertly in its shell, vegetable trays full of salad dressings and dips, roast chicken, turkey slices and pads of beef with their respective gravies.

"Eat up everybody!" Iruka goaded them on, enjoying the way Kiba snarfed his food down. Almost ferally and obnoxiously. _Almost like Naruto would do._

Shaking his head, he smiled amiably, before partaking of the meal he personally cooked for them. He turned his eyes towards the window, feeling somebody was looking at them, but shrugged the feeling off.

"Wow! This is the best takeout I've ever eaten!" Kiba said through mouthfuls of food. Sakura agreed, nodding her head. Sasuke merely continued eating, an assent in his part.

"Now, now. You should at least give credit to Iruka-sensei. He was the one who cooked all of these." Kakashi informed them with that strange twinkle in the eye. Iruka merely turned red at the unexpected, and awkward, defense in his part.

_Tick…tick…ding!_

"Iruka-sensei…cooks…this well?" Sakura almost dropped her chopsticks. _Shannaro! No way! He's a man, and he cooks light years better than I do! Nooooooo! _Inner Sakura pulled her locks in frustration. What would Sasuke think of her if they were married, and she had to consult a cookbook every time she stood in front of the stove?

"Ah well, Kakashi spent the better part of the morning coaxing me to do this. I didn't think you'd like my cooking, but Kakashi-sensei was just…well, _forceful._ He even had to run around the village buying the things I needed." Iruka explained, slightly abashed.

"Kakashi-sensei did this for us?" Kiba fixed his eyes upon the chicken bone at hand. He thought the jounin was just lazy this morning and had the mind to spite them by being late. He didn't realize…

Kakashi observed the three had gone somber in an instant, if you counted Sasuke, who undeniably always looked somber. Now was the good time to share one more thing with the students he spent a better part of his years with. (Let's just say Kiba was counted along those lines too, and not forgetting Akamaru.)

* * *

"Underneath the underneath." Kakashi spoke in a tone that commanded everybody to listen to him when he spoke. It was a tone he used when he was still ANBU captain, when he was teacher and they were students, when life mattered, and when death was a thing to be avoided. Even for his enemies.

"Peel the layers of ignorance and spite; see the world through windows unstained. Understand everybody's movement and you will understand the world. Understand life and you will learn what the end is. Understand death and you will learn what beginnings are. Do not look at the finger you point at somebody, but look at the four fingers pointing back. Remember to kill only for survival and not by loathing, or prepare to die unwillingly. For each life celebrated, more are being mourned after their passing."

Sakura remained quiet, Kiba listened curiously, but Sasuke understood. And he sat rooted to his position as the words sank deeper and deeper on him, like ice needles that pierced through his skin.

"When you understand what death is, you live life to the fullest. When you understand what you hate, you understand whom to love with all you have. When you fail to see lies, you fail to see reality. And in the end, what you have been doing is living a lie, and persons who lived their whole lives in one big lie, have been living in truth all along."

Kakashi continued.

"Underneath the underneath. To see the truth hidden within the lie. To understand the love within hatred. To understand chaos is a pattern of order. To see that reality is an illusion. To see death is inevitable when living!"

The white-haired sensei raised his forehead protector to expose his Sharingan.

"Underneath the underneath. There is nothing gained in this world, only replaced by something of equal value. In order to realize strength, you have to be weak. In order to realize the truth, you must base your life in a lie. In order to love everybody, everybody must hate you. In order to live, you must sacrifice your enemy. And in order to protect those you love, you must be prepared to sacrifice yourself."

Iruka continued the lessons.

* * *

"Underneath the underneath. For what do we live except to search for something important for us? For what do we die when our search ends? Are you sure you will find that important thing before you see your life wrenched away before your very eyes? Will that important thing lose its value when you lose your life? Will you lose your life when that thing loses its value to you?"

Sakura had decided to add her thoughts.

* * *

"Underneath the underneath. To realize that one does not exist without another. To realize that evil does not exist without good. To realize that greatness does not exist without humiliation. To realize that immensity cannot be acknowledged without insignificance…To…to realize that…love does not exist…without hate?"

Sakura was left to her thoughts, staring at Sasuke, doubting herself for the first time.

"Underneath the underneath."

Kiba shared his ideas.

* * *

"Where is the border of good and evil, when life ceases to exist? Where is the border of genius and insane, when knowledge is but a lie? Where is the border of friend and enemy, when beliefs all become wrong? Where is the border of man and beast, when both are staged for survival? Armed only to nails and teeth, claws and fangs? Where is the border of want and need, when both become a necessity? Where is the border of love and hate, when both…both are friends and…enemies alike?"

Kiba was subdued, for the first time in his life by his own words.

Four pairs of eyes settled upon the Uchiha that remained quiet amongst them. It was his turn. But trying to get the stoic boy to talk freely was like putting a price to each breath you take. And of course, maybe…

"Underneath…the underneath…"

* * *

Then again, people change. Sasuke looked like he was fumbling with the things to say.

"Underneath of nothing, there is everything."

"Underneath of silence, there exists the voice of the mind."

"_Hey, who's that kid by the swings?" A curious whisper…_

"_Don't you know? It's **that** kid!" A reference to something beneath the veneer of a sad boy's face. Didn't they notice him crying, all alone?_

"_Is he? I'll be damned if he becomes a shinobi…" Hatred. Malice. Why do they hate him when they barely know him?_

"_Shh, he might hear. The Hokage had forbidden things like these to be talked about…" Cowards. Can't even face a boy six times younger their age._

_Ah, should I go talk to him? Maybe he'd like that…_

_Wait…where did he go?_

"Underneath the fear of dying, there exists the courage to go on living."

"_Are you okay? Scaredy cat?" What a tease. So where did his bravado go to earlier? He can't be serious about this being his first battle! _

"_You…you bastard!" What? Is that the best comeback you can think of?_

"_Well, you sure did freeze up earlier…" How amusing. Trying not to cry like a little girl. Maybe I should add you to my list of people I dubbed "Collateral"._

"_Naruto, I'm sorry if I wasn't there to protect you…" Even Kakashi-sensei noticed. Not a big surprise._

"_I…I can't always have people protect me all the time…" Now you realize, don't you? That you can't always depend on everybody. That you can only count on yourself._

_Maybe I will indeed like you._

"Underneath the control of the mind, there exists the impulse of the body."

"_Why! Why did you save me? Sasuke!" Stupid blond. My hearing is destroyed by a short shot because of your loudmouth._

"_Ch, I don't know idiot. My body…just moved all of a sudden." That's the truth. Even I would later wonder why, if given the time to think about it. Why did I save you?_

"_Stupid Sasuke! I didn't…can't…" You're crying. For me? But isn't that why I saved you? So you wouldn't feel the pain and cry! We are friends aren't we? I can't afford my friend to cry, especially if it has something to do with me!_

"_I can't lose another person special to me!"_

_Yeah…neither can I, dobe. I can't lose another person **most** special to me. _

"Underneath the hostility, there exists the desire of friendship."

"_I am not going back to Konoha!" You have to let me go! I need that power! I need it to defeat the bastard that killed my family!_

"_Sasuke! I don't care what you say!" Are those tears in his eyes that refuse to fall? Did I make you cry again? After promising that I wouldn't let you anymore?_

"_Even if I have to break every bone in your body, I'll do it just so you wouldn't leave us for that snake-bastard!"_

_Come to think about it…if our lives were reversed…if I am as desperate as he is right now…_

_Would I break every bone in his body, only to stop him from leaving me? _

"Underneath the manipulation, there exists but another manipulator."

"_It's been fun fucking with your mind, Sasuke-kun." Why, did it make you that happy to hurt my psyche?_

"Underneath the enemy, there exists the ally."

"_Even just for each night, when no one else sees us, and knows what we have talked about…can we be friends, Sasuke?" _

_We promised each other this vow and yet..._

"_I'll kill you." _

_I threatened you this._

"_Thank you. And I to you." _

_And you thanked me for it._

_Is this what normal friends do?_

"Underneath…underneath all…"

"Underneath the lust, there is love. Underneath the envy, there is longing. Underneath the selfishness, there is the need. Underneath the desire to kill, there exists the need to live."

"Underneath Kouryuu, there exists the Uzumaki Naruto I have known."

_The Uzumaki Naruto I've come to respect._

_The Uzumaki Naruto I've come to long for._

_The Uzumaki Naruto I've come…_

…_to love._

"Underneath it all…" Sasuke closed his eyes, everybody had looked downcast.

* * *

Outside, a cloaked figure had walked away, a small smile playing in his lips. He was trying his best to block emotions from crawling downwards to a faint seal on his left hand.

"Underneath the underneath." Naruto spoke in whispers.

His eyes were tear-brimmed. He remembered his talk to Gaara about having any face at all from beneath the masks he had used.

His tears were confirmation sent by the heavens. And whispering the three words like a mantra in his head…

He believed that maybe, he indeed had a face underneath all of his masks.

* * *

Sorry for the short chapter full of garbage! Uwaah! I had to dump all those thoughts in this chapter. The author is such a hypocrite, hating filler episodes when he himself is making filler chapters! Pure evil! But now, I've come to learn the power of using long spaces between my paragraphs! Ph34r my ch47 sp3ak! 


	29. Start! The Second Part of the Exams!

Disclaimer: Yes! I don't own Naruto! You people should be happy, because if I did, who knows what weird kinkiness might be happening right now with the manga? As always, Kishimoto-sama draws the best stories out, but it's a shame that each manga looks frustratingly short.

-

Chapter 29: Start! The Second Part of the Chuunin Exam!

-

They had said goodbye to the two some earlier. It was almost one o' clock when they had left Iruka's apartment. A jounin from the exams mentioned that the second part would start by three.

But.

For their part, the three genin looked placated as with what they had shared with each other that late morning.

Sakura, for her part, realized a few things for her own musing. And she didn't muse often. Especially if it was about Sasuke. Sasuke wasn't somebody to be taken lightly, if her future and happiness were concerned. Of course, crediting other people's happiness too…but still…

_Love does not exist…without hate…_ She had said those words without attention, which surprised her to an extent. Sakura was the bookish type, her answers were always refined and well-quoted from any book or scroll. She could give an answer to almost any question and back it up with the page number of the book or scroll series from where she got her sources.

She was starting to doubt her emotions for the brooding Uchiha. After all, if you did love somebody, shouldn't you have the capability to hate them with equal passion? And how should she define hate when facing Sasuke?

She wasn't as imperceptive as she was to each and every rejection she received from the dark-haired boy. Sasuke would refer her advances upon him as retardation; she would preferringly call it perseverance.

Sakura didn't hate him.

Sakura was never known to receive welcome affection from the Uchiha, even when she should have deserved it or she was entitled to one because she was his teammate.

Sakura still didn't hate him.

She had all the right in the world to act like the jerk Inner Sakura told her to be, but she kept it to herself. Because Outer Sakura must be the spitting image of Miss Konoha year-whatever-it-is and she should keep the image. Quiet, subservient, bashful, conservative and beautiful…everything a man should look for in a woman. It was the age-old criteria carefully observed by women that were sure to net a handsome, decent and well-off man.

But back to the topic, she could never think of any situation where she was truly irritated or angry at Sasuke. Not once. Not ever. Is there something wrong with how she was looking at Sasuke then? Because, according to her instinct-driven words, she should at least, at a mercifully-considered situation, have hated Sasuke once in her life.

So, when? When! WHEN? When had she thrown the cold shoulder or the evil eye at Sasuke? When had she rough-housed the stoic boy when she felt she had enough of her 'bastard-y' attitude (as Naruto would say)? When had she even made a sentence that contained 'Sasuke' and any foul or snide word in it?

Maybe what she said earlier was wrong, right? Of course, love can exist without hate. It's just so obvious! Why would you need something bad for something good to exist? How could you even think of hating the one person you expect to stay by your side and share your memories with when both of you will be too old to walk and would decide to get a shack by the sea shore just to appreciate the sound of the pounding waves? Kakashi-sensei must have picked that up when he was reading one of his perverted books! Stupid jounin must be laughing right now!

Stupid girl, she shouldn't worry about her feelings for Sasuke-kun! She loves Sasuke! She adores everything about the dark-haired boy! Sasuke is perfect! And she's perfect for Sasuke, as her perfect bride! On a perfect wedding day!

And yet…Sakura felt emptier as she said those words again and again to reassure herself.

Because…she…loves…_likes_…Sasuke. But…does Sasuke even like her to begin with? Sakura could only notice tolerance from him when she was around. Sasuke was never relaxed, his body always tense, when she was around. It was almost like he was looking at her like he would with a groupie time-bomb; give it time and it will explode and kill you with all the irritation a Sasuke fan club would offer to a Sasuke.

She couldn't say the same for Sasuke. Sasuke **did **respect her. Tolerate her to levels impossible for an Uchiha would to a normal girl. Sasuke didn't hate her.

Even if Naruto would have just been offered as a consolation for her if Sasuke rejected her, her memories took her back to the time of his confession. The blond had confessed his feelings for Sasuke. That night.

Sakura could make the link between Naruto and Sasuke. Outwardly, Naruto hated Sasuke with a passion. She didn't need further evidence to convince her that Naruto **loved** (Sakura visibly blanched) Sasuke. After all, wasn't his confession the main reason he left the village and risked himself becoming a missing nin?

Besides, it supported her subconscious ideology.

Remember? Love does not exist without hate-crap?

Of course, Sasuke wouldn't even think that…urg…

(Sakura paused her brain processes to censor out the idea of saying Sasuke loves another girl…or boy…other than her)

Anyways, he had told the blond off. He wasn't interested. There was no chance for both of them.

And Naruto ran away. Sakura felt sorry for having a hand at it. She could have volunteered for the search as well, but Hokage-sama didn't want the issue to expand as it was that big already. Sasuke would be left to his devices if he wanted to find Naruto.

So, why was Sasuke intent on bringing back the boy that broke their friendship off, and that had admitted something even Sakura couldn't blurt out so openly? Maybe he still wanted to be friends with Naruto, right? Naruto did make a good sparring partner for Sasuke…and…he was the only friend Sasuke had through all their years…and…and…maybe Sasuke knew Naruto was misunderstood…or maybe…maybe…

Sakura frowned.

She didn't like where her thoughts were heading to.

But it looked like her mind left her no option. It was inevitable to think about it from every aspect. The way Sasuke felt about Naruto, and the difference with how she was treating Sakura.

She'll have a long talk with Sasuke after the exams.

-

Kiba found himself in the same subdued state his new teammates were in right now. Akamaru trotted beside him, worry evident in his slit eyes. Kiba sighed, and gave a strained smile to the dog, gently patting his head as reassurance.

_Where is the border of love and hate? When both are friends and enemies alike?_

Yes, where is the boundary? When does love ebb away and hate allowed seeping in? When can you say you love somebody?

When you feel that light feeling when that person passes by?

When that person looks in your direction and your knees have all and decided to give way without your mind's permission?

When you plaster your room with stalker-quality pictures of the person of your dreams? And just to make sure, had them poster-blown up and laminated?

What? What are the criteria of love? Does it even have one! Do they even matter!

_Sigh._

"You know…Akamaru. I only realized…that maybe…" Kiba swallowed, feeling the familiar lump in his throat that came with admitting something hard to say.

Akamaru tilted his head, waiting for what Kiba had to say. The dog felt it was important. After all, why would his master's eyes leak with tears?

"Never did hate Naruto. Never had the chance to really hate him. The blond was too good to hate. Maybe gave him the occasional glare…or even a small tease." Kiba tried to stop leaking tears from flowing freely down his marked cheeks.

"I guess…I've been using him as a scapegoat. A convenient one at that. He was someone I admired and my admiration can be easily taken wrong for…"

_A crush._

_A love interest._

_Double sigh._

"Naruto…could I have mistaken my want for your friendship as a need for love?" Kiba murmured, hand roughly drying his eyes. Akamaru whimpered, getting a startled Kiba's attention.

The dog had lain himself in front of Kiba's path, and was offering his master a ride on his back. Kiba softly smiled, canines peeking through lips, as he patted the dog for good measure and got on the dog's back. Sasuke and Sakura went on, unmindful of what was happening between dog and master.

_Because…_

Because I don't hate you, Naruto. Whether it means I can or cannot love you doesn't matter. You were never the center of issue I claim you to be.

It's the one person I hate that doesn't leave my mind in peace.

I hate Aburame Shino, my former teammate, my former comrade. And I hate how our story almost seemed as sappy as some washed-up romance novel I've read on some freaky, hateful Mondays.

Firstly, I hated that fateful day when we got our fucking mission. A mission that got us so tired and hungry. We were the best tracking team Konoha could offer, so how can we say no…

We returned from the mission that afternoon next day. I hated how it even drizzled lightly when we got back. Stupid water…now I looked and smelled like the lost puppy Shino teased me earlier.

I hated him the moment when he came up to me and offered to take me for a free meal. I hated him for how he knew me so easily; knowing I'd give in to my hunger.

I hate him when he told me we'd go have take outs, and that we could eat at the old training area, near the monument of Konoha's heroes. I hate his sentimental side so much.

I hate him when we ate in silence, him eating quietly, and I, offering a few bites to an eager Akamaru. I hate that glint coming from his glasses when they were tilted towards my direction. Hate that it looks as if he's peeking glances at me.

I hate, hate him so much, when out of the blue; without any warning of any kind, he had said those three words that made or broke people and their friendship with one another.

I hate him when he said that he loved me.

I hated it more when he said it in a tone unfamiliar to the strict tone he addressed to Hinata and me.

I hated the pleading tone, the almost heart-breaking slide of his voice when he said them in front of my face. I've never felt so much melancholy and hate for him.

I hated how he just sat there…waiting. With an expression uncommon for Shino. There was uncertainty, and surprise, like he had said something poisonous, and that poison was something his kikaichu wouldn't be able to break down. He was looking at me like a mongoose with do with a cobra. I hate how that sounds but that was the best analogy I could give.

I hated him, and I told him the nearest possible escape I could think of. Something believable and something I wouldn't come to hate when the time to think about the things I said would come.

"_You can't say these things to me! I…I like Naruto! Please tell me you were just joking, Shino! Please say it to me!"_

And I hated him for his inability to make jokes out of something. He never was the one to kid or joke around. I hate him for his lack of sense of humor. Something I had in large supplies.

The next day, I hated him more. He acted like nothing had happened between us. But Kurenai-sensei felt it. Hinata-chan felt it. Even Akamaru decided to give me my much needed space. There was a thick air of tension around the two of us, like his bug wall technique engulfing us and attempting to strangle out what little air was left in the atmosphere.

Then the missions had resumed. And how I hated him more than I used to.

We now were just what we were years back. Just a team. Not a group of friends. Each of us using our strengths and special abilities to finish a mission. We came to meet, did our work, and separated ways quietly. Gone were the days we could still hangout with one another after missions. Gone were the days I could comfortably sling an arm around bug boy's shoulder or waist, and elicit a perverse blush from him. And it was all because of that stupid, stupid boy I hate. And those stupid, stupid words I always knew would come out from his stupid mouth.

He and Hinata went on with the chuunin exams of that year. I conveniently had chicken pox at that time, and had an excuse to give. _Not that an induced vaccine could give me a light pox and a spot of rashes in some places I never thought rashes would develop. Nee-chan never did find where one of her pox vials had gone off to._

And they were chuunin. And I genin. I used to boast that I'd finish moving through the ranks faster than they could. Guess I look like the hypocrite for my part.

They left, the boy I hate, and the quiet Hinata-chan.

I stood alone, Akamaru at my back.

Kurenai-sensei couldn't continue with handling me.

I was but a lone genin.

I wasn't a team.

Hokage-sama had been but kind to me. That goes without saying. She couldn't put me in another genin team. My skills were waaaay far from genin. Said something about imbalance.

She had me transferred to other teams, shuffling from one team for another, loaded myself up with missions. I was a genin taking C-Rank and B-Rank missions. I was a genin with chuunin-rank teammates.

Shino was starting on his training to become a tokubetsu jounin. (Special jounin). Hinata was summoned for special and secret training by the current clan leader, his father. She would have jounin-status abilities by the end of her training. Good for her.

After these many months…

I've never heard from Shino since. He rarely goes out from those bug houses his family tends to. And when he does, it's not that hard to recognize him. He had changed his wardrobe into something that looked oddly like a beekeepers. He was covered in three layers of jackets, one covering his chin, a second one running over his head, and a third one acting like a raincoat. His glasses were still in place. His change of wardrobe made it all the more difficult for me when I stole glances of him when he passed by my hangout at Ichiraku's.

I could never tell if he got a reaction from me every time our paths collided. Whether he got a flinch, a smirk, or a scowl under those layers of clothing.

_Sigh._

Sometimes I feel we're complete strangers now. And I've been known to never hold grudges over somebody I don't know. In short, _strangers._

We don't talk, because we don't know each other.

We don't greet, because you just don't greet anybody that walks up your way.

We barely meet in the road, at least once every two weeks, but who's counting?

-

So, right now, on Akamaru's back, he had the insane urge to lightly scratch the back of his hand; a habit he kept to himself to prevent anyone from linking it to his being nervous.

He was now left alone. Shino-less and Naruto-less. Because Kiba knew that it was his fault to begin with. To dump a guy that loved him and to be left behind by a guy that decided to run away.

Sometimes, he wished for those eyeless stares Shino directed at him. Kiba felt secure within those stares, he felt he could be himself under those stares. Even then, he started scanning the area around him, hoping for a certain chakra signature he recognized could be hiding and looking at him without him knowing it.

Kiba didn't care about the quality of the stare. It could be happy, weirded out, exasperated, surprised and, for all he cared, even angry. Kiba wished it was the last one. Shino deserved the justice. Kiba knew he could never deserve Shino now.

Because he knew, after those months, why he hated Shino.

He hated him because he didn't give Kiba the chance to choose. He just stared and waited, looking at Kiba as if the dog-nin would blurt out yes without second thoughts. Kiba hated his insensitivity, because Kiba valued loyalty. And commitments, like what Shino had lain out before him, required utmost loyalty.

Shino had said all those things without preparation. Without grace and without delicacy. Shino is so stupid…didn't he know these things take time? And…well, he could have started nice! Built his impressions around him until Kiba found him acceptable!

_No…_

Kiba knew he was at fault. He had laid out a master plan for his life. He expected every detail be followed to the letter. If nobody followed his plan, then damn that person!

Shino didn't go through with his courting rituals. The sending of gifts at first. The walks that soon followed. The dates they'd later venture into. And on those hot and steamy nights…Kiba shivered at the thought.

Kiba had sent the star of his plans away when he refused to work with the script.

Kiba failed to look at the urgency of his life. They were ninjas! Their life was a hell lot hazardous than any normal human's. Death was practically waiting at their doorsteps each morning, ready to chop off their heads the moment they made a single, fatal mistake or a slight miscalculation.

Shino's approach of shocking Kiba with a confession of his love suddenly didn't seem so far-fetched after all.

He didn't hate the stoic bug boy now, starting that early afternoon, after leaving Iruka-sensei's house.

For whatever worth was left in him, he also loved Shino. Even if he didn't indulge him in the intricacies he laid out for any suitor of his. (Kiba still kept his pride that he could take a large chunk of the male population and have them fall for him, but that's just him in his little dream world).

It was clear now. Thanks to a pervert's lessons.

Even…

Even if his love life was now completely unsalvageable…

He loved Shino…

Still loves him….

And will love him, even if from afar and without his knowledge.

Kiba smiled at the thoughts of him stalking in the Aburame grounds for a certain bug boy that grew on him. It would be a classic love story…the main character; hiding in the bushes for a guy he had dumped from the start, only to realize he also loved him. _Woe is me that failed to see another who squandered his soul for my graces._

_Sigh…_

"I'm sorry Naruto…for bringing you into this whirlwind of problems…" Kiba spoke to no one in particular. "I should have kept them to myself…should have faced them alone."

_And now, indirectly because of me, you left the village you told us you'd protect with your life._

His thoughts returned to the pale-skinned Aburame heir.

Because…

I learned how to make a decision for myself. And I chose whom I wanted to spend my entire life with.

_Gods, I hate myself…damn!_

And then…

The only question left unanswered…after all of everything that crossed his mind about the stoic bug boy…

Was…

If Shino hated him too…

-

"Hey…"

Sakura and Kiba looked up, immediately dispelled from the stupor they were in. The pink-haired kunoichi looked up from her hands, and Kiba directed his gaze from his side towards the Uchiha.

Sasuke gazed at their eyes solemnly, observing their expressions. Sakura and Kiba did the same, and for the first time since Team 7 was reformed, they did not find it awkward when they shared moments of silence.

"Aa…"

Sasuke frowned, his head shuffled to his right side on impulse. That first word didn't sound out right…

"Sasuke-kun…"

Sakura strode one step forward, her smile gentle and unstrained.

"We know what you want to say. We'll bring Naruto back. We're your team for now, we won't fail you." She spoke confidently. "You can be sure that we won't need your babying during the second exam. We'll know how to protect ourselves. Tsunade-sama knows of this too, and is making plans…"

Sasuke gently…smiled at her words. Even though it was strained, Sakura felt delighted when she finally had received Sasuke's acknowledgement.

"Yeah, Sasuke-_chan._" Kiba said goofily. "You might be a bastard and me an asshole sometimes (he could hear Sasuke scoff) but we have one thing in common, and that is to bring somebody we care back. Naruto is our friend!" Turning around, he lightly scratched his nin-dog's scruff. "Na, Akamaru?"

The dog barked in agreement, a little too loudly anyway. Only Kiba found his size unsurprising. The others couldn't believe that it only took a few years for Kiba to be riding the dog, instead of the other way around.

Sakura smiled at his direction.

Kiba grinned obnoxiously; face tattoos scrunched up in an endearing manner.

Sasuke sighed, and gave up a smile of his own.

"I trust each one of you."

Both nodded and appreciated Sasuke's acknowledgement. The three shared an awkward moment, their hands on top and upon each other.

_Because I know it'll take more than just me to return you here._

"We'll bring Naruto back. Even if we have to break every bone in his body." Sasuke spoke resolutely, bringing his fists together with a smack.

"Hell yeah!" Inner Sakura and Kiba yelled, fire in their eyes. Akamaru jumped around the group of three, tail wagging in all directions.

The afternoon seemed shorter.

_We need to show you that you have a family that cares for you. _

The walls encircling the Forest of Death were seen at a distance.

_Your home will always be with us, and I will wait at the doorstep._

They walked onwards, brimming with newfound confidence in each step.

_And when you get back, I will not let go anymore. Ever._

"Naruto…"

-

Hinata was excited for this day.

Well, shouldn't she? After those long months of isolation from the outside world, undergoing secret Hyuuga clan-style training in underground rooms and chambers, she had finally emerged from ground, experience increased and years wiser than what her age showed.

Her hair had grown long, silky black falling down her back, straight as they can be. Her face had developed more feminine angles, her jaw sharpened, her eyes keener, her face lacked the baby fat she had months ago. And she had grown tall. Much tall.

And yet, she was still shy. And still a bit insecure. Albeit more confident now and more elegant, she wasn't the clumsy and insecure Hinata they knew before. She was now Hyuuga Hinata, soon-to-be clan leader of the Hyuuga clan.

-

"Ah…Hinata-sama. You look wonderful."

She blushed at the curt remark her cousin gave her. Neji wasn't known for flattery, so Hinata knew he meant those words. She admitted it anyway, she was dressed to kill.

She wore the kimono her father gave her on that day too, as a gift for completing their training. It was pure white, the stitching obviously created by a master weaver. A light pattern of pink cherry blossom petals were dotted at the hem of her feet. It was the only contrast provided by the kimono against the paleness of her skin.

"As do you, my favorite cousin."

Neji simply smiled at those words. He had worn his jounin outfit for today, his uncle giving him the important mission of escorting Hinata around. It was fairly unnecessary as Hinata was already competent of taking care of herself in her own village, but Neji knew the mark of courtesy around it. His uncle wanted Neji to fill Hinata in with what happened for the past few months.

Needless to say, Neji had let go of his strict atmosphere a few years back. His hair, once in a ponytail, now hung loosely, a few strands rebelled in his face. He had grown pretty much taller than the rest of them, and rivaled his sensei, Maito Gai, in height. He was in an all-white outfit too, save for a few black accessories here and there. Neji still wore his hitai-ate over his curse seal, as Hinata did with hers around her neck.

"I'm your only cousin you trust." Neji frowned playfully. They had just exited the Hyuuga compound. The trees swayed with the wind as they walked past.

"Of course." Hinata smiled behind a coy hand. "Tell me, Neji-oneesan, what news did I miss for the past few months?"

A flash of distress glazed through the male Hyuuga's pale eyes.

"Hinata-sama…the Hokage found news of Naruto's whereabouts." Neji said those words with a strained tone. It was weird when he didn't think of using such a tone when mentioning Naruto's name.

Hinata's lips formed a soft 'oh' before she pursed them and kept mum for a few seconds.

"Where is he, then? I'm confident Naruto-kun isn't dead, and the last I heard is that…he was captured by that other Sannin." Hinata asked pensively, her hands tightening at her obi.

"He is here."

Hinata noticed Neji didn't look one bit happy at that fact.

"But please, Hinata-sama. I can only advise that you observe from a distance." Neji spoke softly, knowing the emotions she felt for the blond.

Hinata perceived the implication of Neji's words. "Something is wrong, then?"

Neji only gazed at her consolingly, expressing his sympathy for Hinata's feelings.

"Don't worry. The Hokage had advised all of us jounin to simply be on alert. It looks like she and the other Legendary Sannin, Jiraiya-sensei, had developed a plan to get Naruto back."

Hinata nodded.

"Hinata-sama, you are now a _tokubetsu jounin_ (special jounin). Tsunade-sama requests all members of the rank to meet with her tomorrow afternoon."

"Of course." Hinata looked thoughtful. "I trust Tsunade-sama's abilities to return Naruto-kun back to us."

They had walked across the busier part of the village. It would be a good few more minutes before they reached the Forest of Death.

"You understand, that Naruto can never reciprocate the kind of feelings you have for him, don't you, Hinata-sama?"

Neji had a blank expression that did not betray any emotion for the Hyuuga girl.

"I know. It had taken me weeks to get over with Naruto-kun's expression of his…uhm…" Hinata blushed. "…_preferences._ But I am happy I had known of this earlier."

Neji didn't look all too convinced.

"I have my regrets though. If by chance, when we were younger, had I told Naruto-kun what I felt for him…would things have been more different right now, Neji-kun?" Hinata asked meekly, sighing at love lost.

Neji looked away, the wind brushed those rebellious strands of hair from his face for a few seconds before dropping them back.

"Nobody can predict a human's behavior, Hinata-sama." Neji saw the forest getting closer. "That is why they say, that regrets always come in the end."

She nodded weakly, resigned to that fact.

Neji comforted her cousin. "I'm sure you will find somebody who will love and protect you as how you want them. He will be able to fill at least much or part of the void Naruto left in your heart."

Hinata didn't reply, except turn to her cousin with an agreed smile and a hand brushing away stray tears from her cheeks.

They did not notice Sasuke's group on the other road from the practice area.

-

A long ways from the Forest of Death, there were three other persons ambling towards said grove of large trees within a perimeter marked by fences.

_Uwaaauwaaa!_

A crow flew by across the cloudless sky, mocking the humans beneath it with its cawing sound, reminiscing them of a person's laugh.

"Damnit…the sun is just so hot!" Tsunade wrinkled her nose at the temperature as she wiped a lone drop of sweat from her forehead. _Stupid crow was getting in on her nerves…_

She turned a lone eye at her two guests, who seemed unperturbed at the heat that seemed to broil her skin.

"And why are you two all so hunky-dory during this time of the day?" She stuck a lip out, continuing to wipe off rebel drops of sweat off her face. _I wonder how crow would taste like…_

"Hokage-sama…we _do_ live in the desert. Of course, this temperature is nothing short but just warm for us." The blond girl beside her pointed out. Tsunade pouted, wishing she could borrow that oversized fan on her back.

"How ironic. For being the village leader of the Hidden Leaf village of Fire Country, you can complain a lot about heat." The blond boy beside him snarked. Earlier blond girl smacked him soundly in the head, mumbling something about respect to a village leader.

The Hokage just rolled her eyes, using her hand as a make-shift fan.

Of course, what will _I_ expect with two of the Sand siblings from the village of Sunagakure?

Kankuro, wearing a dark cloak to hide his shirtless body, was looking like shit at the moment. Instead of the puppet Karasu on his back, three scrolls were hanging across. His eyes exhibited weariness, giving him a bleary look. Thank god he wasn't up to dumping paint all over his face again. This new paint-less look of his was nothing short for an eyesore, but was rather the opposite. He was very, _very_ handsome.

Temari, for whatever weird reason, had managed to keep the same hairstyle and wardrobe for the years that passed. She looked mature thought, and oozed of intricacy and sensibility.

Tsunade continued walking, still irate at the sun and at the stupid bird cawing that stupid caw.

_Should I broil the bird with its feathers on, or should I poach it until it turns pale from the heat? Damn fowl wouldn't know what hit it…_

-

"We heard one of the members of Hidden Sound's genin team uses sand…" Temari asked, her tone blank. She wasn't sure what emotion to portray at a time like this.

Them, Hokage, she and her brother. Walking towards the grounds for the second Chuunin exams like it was everyday fare. The three of them talking of things like the weather, her brother's abduction, and possibly, her brother's defection.

Ooooh…how else would you think would you feel at that time?

"We are positive. It is your brother, Sabaku no Gaara." The Hokage confirmed, shaking Temari out from her stupor. "He goes by the alias Onashii Mujina; he still parades that sand gourd, and by scrutiny, is using genjutsu to change his skin tone. His red hair still stands out though." Tsunade voiced out her observations.

"Damn kid…nothing but trouble. Here we try to give him the love of a family he wasn't allowed when we were kids…but I…crap-fuck…stupid kid doesn't know how much we love him…" Kankuro lost all humor suddenly, speaking in bland sentences. Temari gave her a worried look of concern. Tsunade only gave a pitied glance.

"Frankly, after those weeks you've arrived here in Konoha, some of the things that you said still don't fit in the puzzle I'm working on." Tsunade sighed, rubbing her forehead when she found things all too troublesome.

"First, you say that Gaara was _abducted_ from your village by _three_ members from the Akatsuki. And then, your spies tell you that he was sighted around Otogakure. So you come to us to enlist our village for assistance."

Temari and Kankuro remained quiet and pensive. It had been the first time they made a major political decision. Gaara always made decisions, they were merely there to back him up and protect him from backlashes.

"Konoha respects the alliance between Fire and Wind country. We are more willing to accommodate your request, because this concerns the Kazekage himself." Tsunade saw the relief flood through both of their eyes. Temari let out a soft smile, and Kankuro gazed at the side of the road, a small play of amusement in his eyes.

"But why do you think Gaara's doing things he's doing right now?"

Kankuro snorted.

"For whatever we know, he might have gotten that sympathy to his enemies-thingy. But that kid would think thrice before sympathizing with the Akatsuki. The only thing we can think of is Naruto."

"But we heard that Naruto also…uhm…_defected_ from Konoha earlier. Gaara was abducted a few weeks prior to Naruto's disappearance." Temari added in her two cents.

Tsunade's eyes slowly woke up in realization. Soft music was creeping in her ears.

"No! It can't be!" She looked terrified, her steps suddenly quickening towards the Forest of Death.

Temari looked on worriedly after her as her brother only made a nonchalant shrug.

-

"Eh, Kiba? You hear that?" Sakura halted a bit, her ears perked up by a lilting melody. She felt a hard shiver run up her spine.

"I heard it a good distance away…I thought it was just my imagination…" Kiba grimaced; the haunting piece of music was too good to be real.

Sasuke didn't say anything, but he was just as drawn to the music as he was with the rest of them.

-

"Hinata-sama!"

Neji rushed to the side of the other Hyuuga, who was bending on her knees, cradling her head in pain.

She faced him, Byakugan activated, prominent veins pulsing around her ivory eyes. Her eyebrows were contorted in confusing pain and weakness.

"Neji-kun! Don't go near! I can feel a trap within the melody…I…I think I'm reacting violently to its effects!" She tried standing up, but felt dizzy and almost fell back to the ground.

The genius Hyuuga nodded, and stood by her side.

"Byakugan!"

His eyes widened at the sight offered by their family's bloodline.

_Naruto! This…_

_This is…impossible!_

-

Sasuke's team was surprised when they arrived at the entrance of the Forest of Death. A large crowd had already gathered, but what was surprising was who the center of attention was.

It was Naruto who was making the haunting, sad tone. Gaara and Kabuto just sat at a corner, almost unnoticeable. Their expressions were of irritancy and a tinge of helplessness.

The blond was running his fingers up and down in the air, as if weaving…or opening a slit in the air. But what was weird was that each time he did so, a trail of red chakra burned and a corresponding note made a sound.

He was doing it fast, short but hectic strokes of up and down. Naruto wasn't looking at anyone, but his fingers were flitting endlessly and continuously, never missing a beat.

For the normal listener, it was a free concert. It was nice to the ears, albeit sad; an inappropriate mood when it's almost three in the afternoon. The sound coming from it was almost similar to the piano.

But Sasuke had a different notion. He didn't like feeling he was getting, and he didn't like it when almost half the audience were almost falling asleep, and the other half drooling and acting as if they were brain-dead.

Sasuke could feel a developing chronic pain on the back of his eyes, and his suspicions were confirmed when he saw Sakura bobbing her head up and down, her mouth looking almost like a fish out of water.

Kiba looked different. He was sweating cold sweat, and he looked scared; his slit eyes were darting in different directions. Akamaru was covering his ears, emotions showing he was afraid of opening them until the terrible music stopped.

Sasuke immediately gasped, when out of impulse, his Sharingan flared without his consent. His eyes widened further more when he saw what was actually happening.

Everybody's chakra system looked all…fucked up. There were unnatural auras on each person. The aura flares were visible in his eyes, and when the normal flare looked even and smooth, the other's looked like flame that was supplied by a faulty gas line.

"Sakura!...Kiba!..." Sasuke mouthed out weakly, his bloodline had at least offered little protection from the debilitating effects of whatever Naruto was doing. He wasn't surprised though when both failed to reply. They pretty much were in their own, little worlds.

_buzz…_

The whole crowd was suddenly swarmed with minute black bugs. They were flying, landing, making buzzes. Some landed on quite a few ninjas, others continued buzzing in mid-air.

_Buzz..buzz…_

Naruto's hands suddenly dropped from their rapid movements. The blond opened his eyes, lips formed into a grimace, as he eyed his arms with disgust.

His arms, from hands up to his shoulders, were swarmed with bugs. Naruto tried moving, but the bugs had leeched his chakra from his arms.

Amidst the waking people, and the swarms of bugs still flying, a tokubetsu jounin emerged from the black, writhing mass. Naruto gritted, forgetting to discount the one flaw in this form of attack. _Him._

Aburame Shino, of the Aburame clan. The family that specialized in kikaichu or destruction bugs. He had forgotten the bug's renowned ability of leeching and eating chakra. He shouldn't have used such a wasteful amount of chakra around this shinobi.

They eyed each other; Shino's was of curiosity and realization, and the other was of hate and hesitance.

"I will not tolerate any form of dirty play during the exam." He directed a glare of small resentment at Naruto. "One more like this, Sound _genin_, and I will force disqualification on your team."

Naruto nodded, in his Kouryuu mask, his eyes responded with a look of pittance and scorn. The bugs had dissipated from his arms, from everyone, and had returned to Shino's body.

"Forty-two people, fourteen teams all in all. I am your examiner for the second part of the exam, Aburame Shino." He eyed each of them curiously, his gaze lingering a bit longer on the dog nin hiding behind Sasuke. "The venue will be the Forest of Death."

A few of the passing teams, curious at the grove of trees, murmured in curiosity. The others merely waited for the tokubetsu jounin to go on.

"Let me explain the rules." Shino raised two scrolls on his hands, white on his left, and black on his right.

"Each team will receive a set of three scrolls of random colors. You may either get three same colors or two same colors and one different." Shino returned the scrolls on his pocket. "This time, you will NOT work as a team."

A wave of reactions at the rule passed by, but Shino remained unperturbed.

"You will set out individually, you may re-band together once you are inside. The decision is all up to you. However, the only requirement to passing the second part is surviving the Forest for one week and reaching the tower at the center of the forest exactly seven days from now."

"This exam was made to determine your capacity to think individually and to measure your survivability skills. Each team member must have the black and white scrolls in their possession before the seventh day. Any team with one or two members with incomplete scrolls can still enter the final part of the exam, however, the only one legitimate to compete will be the person with the complete set of scrolls."

Shino coughed for effect, not used to talking for long periods.

"You may now look at your shuriken holsters to see what color scroll you received."

A number of people looked weirded out, when true to the examiner's words, they had found a scroll in their holsters. _How did he do it?_

"You planted these scrolls at the time your bugs were swarming the area, didn't you?"

Sasuke clutched at his scroll, black. Sakura also had a black scroll.

"Quite keen, Leaf genin." Shino smirked, faltering a bit when he saw Kiba' scroll, white.

Because Sound at the moment, were smirking at their direction. Each member had black scrolls in their possession.

"One last note before I start the exam." Shino turned to the agitated crowd before him. "You may take any number of scrolls if you want. You can take your teammate's scroll if you dare. There are no rules in this exam, except that you are not allowed past the perimeter of the forest. Anybody caught outside will be merited permanent disqualification from the Exams."

Shino turned towards the forest's entrance.

"Good luck to each of you."

He raised his hand, languidly and in suspense.

"HAJIME!" He yelled, his voice piercing through the slowly darkening sky. The birds flew from the canopies above the forest.

Everybody disappeared in a wake of dust.

-

Last time I checked the manga, Kankuro has light-colored hair. Since Temari is blonde, and Gaara is a redhead, I could only conclude both Temari and Kankuro are blond-haired. Kankuro is a bishounen! –swoon- Now if only he'd stop wearing face paint! –Herdeus does not heart face paint!-

By this time, I'll be taking a much needed break from writing Kitsune Mask. Nuuuu! Don't think the other way! I'm currently working on a new story (not sure if it can be yaoi, it's way too serious). But I'll still continue this after posting two chapters in the new story. It's hard writing stuff consecutively, Herdeus can attest to that!

Special note: To GoldenFoolLikesSpiralFishcakes and other reviewers that started reviewing my story without an account or e-mail. It really saddens me that I cannot reply to your reviews via the Review Reply feature. Please, if you can, register here so I can contact you and reply to anything you have to say. It'sa shame that most of you are loyal readers and I cannot reciprocate the opinions you have shared. Aw, now I feel all poetic.


	30. Survival! Sasuke's Big Decision

Disclaimer: Oh my…looks like the pet project is using more word space than Herdeus would've thought…anyway, he doesn't own Naruto or any of its affiliations. Blah…

I'll leave all the unnecessary notes at the end of the Chapter. I'll be damn surprised if I still see people sticking with this story. (Holy crap, after leaving for 3 weeks!)

Warnings: Well, it's Chapter 30, and I've yet to realize I did not place warnings for bad language. Well, -blushes- I'm warning you now! –is ashamed- Yeesh, and also spoilers for the manga. If you haven't read the manga, then…you're spoiled!

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Chapter 30: Survival! Sasuke's Big Decision!

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Kiba, Sakura and Sasuke had reached the innermost part of the forest, with Kiba's and Akamaru's nose acting as a guide. Jumping from tree limb to tree limb, forest vine to vine; there momentary goal had been to set up camp at the forest. The forest seemed to have changed over the past year. Not much anything was familiar anymore. New trees, new species of insects and plants might have been introduced; so it was hard to say that they had any 'home court' advantage over other foreign ninjas.

They knew the three ninjas trailing them; Kiba and Akamaru were able to detect them and their chakra. The dog even made an uneven growl, confirming Kiba's frown at the very weird smell they possessed. 'Like dried meat with myrrh and spices', he said. The ninjas had almost been trailing them for a mile and a quarter now, and even they had to commend them for their sagacity in pursuing their said quarry. Sasuke neatly reminded them that they were the 'hunted' and not the 'hunter'. He didn't like it.

Sasuke had decided that enough was enough. He turned around and met up with what looked like to be the leader of the small band of ninjas that followed them. Both him and the enemy immediately squared off, jumping and clashing kunai with kunai at each other away from the area. Kiba and Sakura were about to follow him when –

-

Another whistling sound was heard in the air.

"DODGE!" Kiba shouted, jumping away from the branch. Akamaru bit Sakura by the collar as he jumped in the other direction, a few seconds early before the whole branch was impaled with what appeared to be spikes or thorns. The thuds of the semi-sharp and semi-blunt plant appendages were sickening to hear.

"Grass Nin…" Kiba snarled, noticing one of the two that attacked them above him. The Grass Nins were easily recognizable with the moss-green cloak they had covered themselves with. And if the hitai-ate worn around their arms weren't dead giveaways, surely their plant-based jutsus did.

The genin made no remark on the acknowledgement, save forming hand seals beneath the covering.

Immediately, wooden spikes emerged from the tree limb where they were standing and began shooting upwards. Kiba nimbly dodged the spikes, cursing as one got too close with his arm. Sakura had regained her senses as she took her position from then on, separating from Akamaru and joining in the dodging fray.

"Sakura!" Kiba knocked an incoming spike with his kunai, turning a glance at the pink-haired kunoichi. "Divide and conquer!" He threw the kunai at the Grass genin. It exploded in mid-air, flooding the whole area with dense smoke and fog.

She took it as her cue, and disappeared. A blur of some sort shot its way from the smoke barrier, obviously heading for the direction of the kunoichi. Kiba and Akamaru were torn between the enemy left behind and securing his teammate's safety first.

"Tch…" Kiba wiped a smudge near the corner of his lips. "I guess we'd better finish this guy first so we can catch up with the rest, ne Akamaru?"

The dog made a bark of approval. By and by, both were crouched and disappeared in an almost blinding speed. The forest became quiet once more, save for the flashes of light and sparks resulting from metal grazing against metal.

-

Sasuke and the other Nin had gone about to almost for ten minutes now. Even though if the other had been busy wasting chakra on plant Ninjutsu, while Sasuke did nothing but stave off the attacks with only a kunai at hand, he was still mildly curious that the guy wasn't even yet showing signs of exhaustion; given that he was still a ninja at genin level.

"Give your scrolls up, sapling." The grass genin gritted as his hands were swift in a flurry of hand seals. A crackling sound was heard at a tree, on his side, as plant vines suddenly burst forth and rushed towards Sasuke.

Sasuke made no comment, save reaching out for a scroll on his back and weaved the scroll in full circles in mid-air as the vines covered him in a mass of writhing leaves and stems. The vines encroached the area around him, forming a spherical layer of some sorts.

Smoke suddenly leaked from a few holes in the plant sphere.

"Katon: Kashoha!" (Fire Release: Fire Shockwave!)

The vines flew back from the silent explosion; the sudden 'whooshing' sound of the erupting flames rang in the area. Sasuke was still turning around in the air, unscorched by the earlier explosion. The scroll he had held a few seconds ago had now winded around him, kanji and kana evident to that of a summoning ritual.

The grass genin, apparently unsurprised, narrowed his eyes and crouched in a nearby branch of a large tree. Doing another set of hand seals, he slammed his hands at the base of the branch as chakra thrummed from the contact. Leaves fell from above them in a great multitude.

"I call this my Ohako (specialty), Uchiha Sasuke." The Grass genin made seven seals, his fingers then stretched out overhead, flared in drama. Sasuke ignored the fact that the enemy knew his name.

"Konoha Natsumatsuri: Shosen Fubuki!" (Leaf Summer Festival: A Thousand Blizzard!)

The leaves in the area, once slowly drifting downwards, stilled in an instant. Chakra strings reflected in some areas, each thin wire of chakra attached to a leaf.

A bird flew by the flurry of leaves, and in an instant, lost its life…along with its head, wings, legs, feathers, etc. etc. The leaves were razor sharp, and very deadly. They were quite strong as steel as well.

"Impressive." Sasuke smirked, hands still outstretched in the two ends of the scroll he was holding. "Using your own chakra, you sent a pulse running across the branch to sever exactly a thousand leaves from the tree.

Using chakra strings with thickness to only a millimeter, you attached them to each leaf, providing them unrivaled sharpness and control over them." Sasuke finished, the scroll continuously unwinding round and round him. His voice was a cross between marvel and mockery, though the inflection seemed more directed towards the latter.

"Are you ready for a performance worthy to die for?" The Grass genin sneered, hands bristling in anticipation. The concerned leaves shivered, the sound similar to a thousand wind chimes in synch with a passing breeze.

"The real question…" Sasuke flipped the scroll facing him. "is whether **you** are ready for a performance to die for."

He tensed the scroll, and in an instant, a sword poofed out of thin air. Sasuke grabbed the sword's hilt, not minding the neglected appearance of the sword. His thoughts returned to training with the white-haired Sannin, Jiraiya.

-

"_Gya ha ha ha! Let's go to the onsen and peep on little girls, Sasuke!" Jiraiya had his drunken laugh. "Or do you want the other side? The men's baths are way over there! Gya ha ha ha- urghk!"_

Ok, screw the flashback. The only thing he remembered was strangling the pervert teacher while he was growing bright red.

The sword was a present given to him by Gamabunta. It was special, the frog boss said. Don't mind the looks, he said. What is important is that what the sword can do, he said.

_What can the sword do anyway?_ Sasuke contemplated.

He spent the last few days before the exams cooped up in his manor. He did everything he could think of with the sword.

_He placed it in fire. _Ok, so the sword did not burn…so what then?

_He tried cutting an 8x8 piece of wood with it._ God, it was so blunt, a butter knife would have done a better job.

_He tried swishing it in the air. _Well, it did make a nice 'whoosh' 'whoosh' sound.

_He tried forcing a small bit of his chakra on it._ Oh good…it vibrated. Then maybe, we could stick it on an enemy, place a bit of chakra on it, and have it thrum so that the enemy will cry. Good idea, right?

Sasuke snapped, shouting in frustration at the archaic item. Screw the whole thing; he was going to bring it to the junk shop first thing in the morning! He lost his last days of preparation over nothing but a useless weapon.

His annoyance at the sword had forced an excess of chakra towards it once more. Sasuke would have frowned at the waste, expecting it to vibrate once more when --

"--Shimatta!" he cursed.

The last thing he remembered was a searing sensation shooting up his arm, and the slivers of light emitted at the blade of the sword.

-

The sword thrummed in his hand once more, Sasuke was satisfied with the effect. It reacted with the chakra emitting from his hand. Just like every time he had been using the sword.

The Grass genin derided, provoked by the question earlier returned. He dramatically arched his fingers and hands over his head. The leaves made those eerie tinkling sounds once more; chakra-enhanced, razor-sharp leaves…their tips were directed at the Uchiha.

"Let us see if art is beautiful when it is fleeting…" His fingers yanked the invisible strings toward Sasuke, a triumphant look in his eyes.

The leaves disappeared in a green blur, slivers of whistling sounds were the only warning Sasuke received from the assault. A tree that unfortunately chose to grow between the leaves and their target was obliterated into sawdust. Anything that crossed and blocked the path of the leaves were left diced, bloodied or otherwise and neatly sliced.

Sasuke made a stance of defense with his ancient sword, the tip of his sword fronting his fingers on his right hand, and the hilt being gripped securely in his left.

_Thirty meters…_

The birds flew away from the area, aware of the impending disaster that will happen to their home trees.

_Twenty meters…_

The assaulting leaves suddenly developed a spiraling motion, moving in a drill-like motion towards him. The whole mass of leaves looked like a mini-tornado, a mass of slicing and cutting blades.

_Ten meters…_

The first leaf nicked Sasuke on his cheek. It was a paper thin wound.

_Zero…_

Sasuke's voice was lost in the flurry of leaf blades that assaulted the area. The area sounded like one that had been bombarded with a whole airplane full of Molotov cocktails loaded with iron nails.

-

"Akamaru!"

Kiba was having his hands full at the moment. He and his dog, who transformed to look like Kiba's exact replica, were busy trading punches and kunais at a grass Nin. The enemy had an irritating habit of phasing in and out of tree trunks and branches.

On the other side, Sakura was having her fight within the mental level. Genjutsu specialists, both of them, they were fidgeting over each other's minds, attempting to dominate each one with the better illusion.

A kunai, narrowly hitting Kiba, finally irked the already-irritated canine-inclined teenager. Akamaru changed back to his dog form, finding no use to battle an enemy that constantly evaded his attacks.

"Just like practice, Akamaru! Do it!" Kiba roared, the dog yipped his confirmation. He bounded the tree trunks as a white blur, twisting and turning as he did so, splattering a yellowish-liquid onto any surface: trunks, branches, moss, and dirt. Amazingly, Kiba was untouched –_immune_- by the liquid rain.

"Dainamikku Makingu!" (Dynamic Marking)

Kiba grinned, fangs showing. Akamaru landed on his side.

"Success!" he gave a victory sign to no one in particular, in an almost Gai-like posture. Akamaru barked in the background, tail wagging behind.

As if on cue, the grass Nin fell down, dislodged from a tree trunk he was hiding. The urine had splattered exactly on his eyes; it was burning the delicate membranes of the insides of his eyelids. He fell, hands over his face, writhing in pain and drooling all over.

"Aaaargh!" He slurred, half-shouting and moaning. "It burns! And…-oh for the love of…- IT STINKS! Raaaarghfk!"

"Hey, chill." Kiba found amusement, momentarily forgetting his annoyance with the opponent. "If you stop writhing, I'll give you the medicine for your eyes."

_Which in truth, is really so I can get your scroll. Oh, Kiba. You are a mad genius!_

The Nin cringed, willing himself to calm down, as Kiba reached for the Grass genin's pockets. He was shaking violently, a side effect for sacrificing the ability of squirming.

_Not here? Damn foreign ninjas…too many pockets! I wonder if it's in the next…_

"FUCK!" he exclaimed out of surprise.

Kiba swore loudly, surprised when the pocket bit his hand and offered no release. He turned to the Nin's smiling face, his hands slackening and falling to his side. Trap-like leaves grew out of his eye sockets, mouth, nose, and some part of his face where the plant punctured itself out.

"Oh...my…good lord of the dogs…" Kiba sat paralyzed, as the plant continued growing up to ten feet. The whole body of the ninja tore up, replaced by the quite larger-than-life Venus flytrap-pitcher like plant. _This is not good…not good…_

"You are a user of Nin-dogs…yes?" A voice spoke, almost mechanically, at least half on half with a tone that sounded more human's. The real Grass genin emerged from another tree trunk, mildly grimacing when his cloth caught on the urine splashed earlier. Kiba turned around, a frown in his tattooed face.

"What's in it for you, jerkwad?" He gritted, irritated at the plant mouth persistently holding his hand down. He did not dare jerk backwards any further, the mouth was threatening to tear his hand off.

The other laughed.

"My plant wants to know the taste between humans and dog meat." said the Grass Nin. He did another hand seal before finally sliding back inside the tree, laughter echoing across the clearing.

Kiba panicked, the pocket that held him was actually a smaller version of the Venus Flytrap's leaves. The large ones, the ones that spanned above his head, bent down and opened wide to devour him.

_No…no! I can't die like this! I can't! NOOO!_

Kiba's anguished cry tore across the trees. Akamaru's howls soon followed suit.

-

Sakura had her hands covering her nose.

The last Grass genin, a boy in her guess, proudly displayed six different vials of differing colors.

"Very keen of you, _girl_." He silkily remarked, and underneath the cloth covering his lips, Sakura deduced he would have been smirking. "It seems you have knowledge over…_chemicals,_ yes?"

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. "Of course I do. You're using plant pheromones to strengthen your Genjutsu skills. Even a master illusionist can't resist attacks when combined with pheromones." She reached for her holster on the back.

The pink-haired kunoichi jumped, throwing a kunai towards the direction of the Grass genin. It struck a few inches from her foot.

"Aw, what's the matter, hon?" The pheromone-using Grass genin (his voice was a clear cut definition of his gender) snarked as Sakura landed, a bit wobbly all of a sudden. "Your aim was none too remarkable."

The other struggled at her feet, eyes fighting to keep awake. The pheromones were starting to get at her. She had been inhaling a few good amount early in the battle.

"Nnngh…" Sakura swerved, fighting to keep her balance. She abruptly fell at the root of a tree trunk, too _drugged_ to stand up straight. "Can't…think…straight…" She started convulsing, spasms wracked different parts of her body. Her pupils shot up, drool escaped her open lips. _Allergic reactions?_

The Grass genin came closer, and rolled her body over. He felt for a pulse in her neck. The initial loss of heat in her skin was a good sign.

"No pulse." He stood, satisfied with the evidence of her opponent's death. He would have laughed, amused by the outcome; but he did not.

Instead, he drew a kunai and with the last of his restraints breaking in his mind, he immediately started peppering Sakura's lifeless body with holes of varying sizes and shapes. A minute, he would wipe his hands dry as wet clay oozed out none too often. And then he returned to stabbing and plunging the already bloodied kunai.

-

_Far in another part of the forest_

"Kouryuu-sama…" a hoarse voice whined.

The concerned boy looked back; platinum blond hair swaying in the air, turning a lazy glance at the red-haired Sound genin otherwise named Gaara, but was known as Mujina.

"The noises…the disturbance…" said Gaara, ears twitching at the sounds of distant battle. "Shouldn't we investigate?"

Naruto turned his attention forward again, acting as if he never heard a thing.

"I can sense strong opponents in the direction, Kouryuu-sama." the other boy repeated, sand rustling in his gourd. "Can we not go –?"

"– Mujina." The blond spoke stiffly, attempting to be polite. "After your early morning kills, shouldn't your bloodlust, in the least, had been sated?"

The other had no say to this. Truth be told, he had been allowed reprieve from killing abstinence and was always hunting out every few minutes. _Hunting_, which by reference, means the crushing of an enemy body in his sands, and allowing the blood to ooze and flow on it.

This meant satisfaction for Gaara, as would food can provide to a hungry man. Once in a while, he sidetracked from the group of three and was lost in the waves of green and brown. Only a few minutes later, he came back with a silly grin, and crimson blots splattered on his porcelain face and clothing.

"I can sense that these _enemies_ can actually be a threat, _Kouryuu-sama._" Gaara simpered, finding the prospect of a good fight. "Until we actually have to battle the Uchiha-runt, they will do as a better substitute."

"No, you will not." Naruto held his decision. "I will not risk you breaking our cover. Orochimaru-sama demands a high level of success in this mission, _Mujina_. And I will not endanger our mission over your silly impulse –"

"_Kouryuu-kun_…" Kabuto finally spoke up, lips set in a thin line. "I think we should investigate…what if the battle across the forest concerned Sasuke-kun and his team?"

Naruto looked bewildered at first; a wild eye was directed at the solemn Kabuto. The medic nin had little to say at moments like this, but when he did, it only meant one thing: _business._

"Fine. We'll go investigate."

Naruto relented, much to the delight of Gaara, who suddenly developed a faster gait upon hearing their team leader's decision.

"– however, this time, we're coming with you." Naruto rolled his eyes at the apparent rebellion Gaara was going to display. "No, you need control. You can't go on randomly finishing anybody you see –"

"Actually – yes, I can." The sand-user smirked.

"Okay…you can. No rules about it." Naruto pinched the bridge of his nose, and feeling for the first time, the symptoms of a growing migraine. "Look, unless we're coming, you're not gonna start killing something."

Gaara made a small humph sound, and landed on branch at the right of their intended path. Naruto and Kabuto followed suit, hoping the other boy's obsessions with Sabaku Kyuu and blood would later die down.

"Let's go."

Team Sound disappeared at a very fast pace, only the slight sounds of feet alighting in the branches gave their presence away.

Somehow, Naruto, deep inside, had a very bad gut feeling when it came to their target, Uchiha Sasuke.

-

"Kai!" (Release!)

Sasuke's eyes developed a harsher red and black of the Sharingan.

The whole area exploded, dust and debris flew in all directions. Sasuke's voice pierced through the howling wind.

The sword had begun vibrating wildly in his hand, reacting and convulsing. Sasuke immediately bent his head back, breath collected in his lungs, as he blew forwards, fire issued from his mouth, his voice echoing his family's specialty jutsu.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!)

The giant sphere of flames had immediately formed between the Uchiha and the assaulting leaves. The latter had immediately burned at contact with the fiery ball of flames, which looked to be growing bigger and bigger by the second.

"Your paltry technique won't save you!" The Grass genin snarled, livid at finding the first three hundred of his leaves turning to ashes. He immediately changed the positions of his hands, fingers weaving as one would do with a marionette.

The remaining leaves immediately changed course, expanding and evading the giant fireball. They were still moving at a spiral course, albeit they had taken a course around the stationary fireball. They were going to attack Sasuke from the sidelines.

Sasuke raised his sword forward, and with quick movements, thrust the sword at the center of the fireball. The sword thrummed violently, glowing red-white at the temperature.

"Katsu!" Sasuke roared, the sword reacting to his command. The fireball had split, exploding silently into smaller chunks of concentrated chakra-laced bolts of flame. They burned everything they fell onto, even the chakra strings that controlled the leaves. The twings and twangs of cut chakra strings whistled in the air.

"No!" The Grass Genin fell back, reeling from the sensation of loosing control of his chakra strings. He was unbelieving, panicky as his 'specialty' was countered effectively. "This is not possible!"

"I'm not finished with you!"

Sasuke eyed him with great disdain, lips curled in disgust. His brows were furrowed, hands tightening around the sword, which still retained its fiery hot reddish-white color.

Crouching low once again, he swept the sword sideways, flames erupting in its wake; forming a lava-like line in the air at the heat.

"Hiden Tsurugi Shiki: Suzaku no Jutsu!" (Secret Sword Style: Art of the Phoenix Guardian!)

Long fluid arcs…flames blazing…strange heat…infernal darkness…smell of burnt clothing…skin…blood…

It was the Grass genin's turn to scream that day.

-

Naruto frowned, not liking the warm sensation in his chest. He felt something akin to flames happily licking at his lungs, as if butterflies made of fire fluttered in his stomach. He, however after a few months, knew what the cause was.

"Kyuubi!" Naruto hissed, clutching the seal on his stomach. "Cut it out. What the hell are you celebrating for, damnit?"

_Fire…I can feel fire…accursed…I feel familiarity…_

Naruto gazed forwards, noticing the smoke rising from a distance. _More like to where we are heading._ His mind was at unease.

_Looks like the Uchiha brat improved…kh..ha..haha…hahahahaha! He will succeed where I failed…_

"SHUT UP!"

Gaara and Kabuto turned towards him, 'what the fuck' looks gracing their faces. Naruto glared back at them, full force.

"Go forward! Nobody stops until we get there!"

"But…"

Naruto simply cut Kabuto's counter with a more poisonous glare. "The Uchiha bastard is in there! He will be mine! No delays from the two of you!"

He sped even faster; Gaara and Kabuto had to cover their faces in his wake. They were almost blown off by Naruto's speed and the side effects of rushing wind.

-

The Venus flytrap-pitcher like plant was happily patting its full stomach, satisfied with its meal of Leaf ninja and one pony-sized nin dog. The juices inside it were making those weird sounds associated with heavy digestion, or so the plant perceived.

Well, it was abnormal to begin with, when the plant's 'stomach' was bulging three times wider than its girth. It was also humming; or vibrating rapidly and minutely, in any case, it would have been an abnormal sign for any carnivorous plant to experience these symptoms

"Rawrgh…raaaaargh…" It made pathetically, whiny growls, noticing a sensation akin to human pain emitting from the large gall that was its digestive chamber.

_..i………z……._

_w.i…...zz……._

_whiz…..wh.zz…._

_whizz…whizz…_

The steady drilling sound was getting louder and louder, until finally –

"Gatsuga!" (Double Piercing Fang!)

The plant had burst in its seams, as a two white flurries of wind and chakra erupted from it. Escaping digestive juices, acrid and stinging, splashed upon the landscape; making soft, hissing sounds. The plant lay lifeless, wilted and drooling in a sticky, clear fluid.

A kunai was immediately hurled, aiming for Kiba's head. Akamaru had leapt and caught it clean in his mouth before it impaled itself on Kiba's noggin. The latter immediately gave no moment's notice to throw his own knife at the direction from where the kunai came from.

"Damn." Kiba heard the dissatisfying sound of metal thunking against wood. Missed target again.

Kiba growled, eyes forming into slits, and canines looking as if they had grown. He sniffed the air, both he and Akamaru, for a few moments; nit in concentration at trying to catch a scent.

A wisp, if nothing else, triggered two sets of eyes wide open.

"AKAMARU!" Kiba threw a familiar-looking red pill at his dog. Akamaru had suddenly as red as his namesake, eyes glowing fiercely with rabid power. His mouth salivated, battle hunger flowing in an aura.

The dog suddenly transformed into a clone of Kiba. Slapping hands with the original one for luck, they whirled around once more in a spiraling, whirling gust of wind, slashing and cutting.

"Kaze Kiba: Renkudan!" (Wind Fang: Drilling Air Bullet!)

It was a sight to behold, for both of them; their attacks were not even touching the surrounding areas, but looked as if the ground, the trees, the rocks…they had all suffered the calamity of the attack. It was as if a steady aura of some sort shredded the surfaces that got too close to the pair. Slash marks, of varying sizes and degree, littered the radius around them.

The mini-tornados that were Kiba and Akamaru writhed like dragons, bouncing and traveling up, the constant _whirr whirr _of the attack like a clockwork symphony. And in synchrony, they had struck the base of a very large tree. The trunk gave way in an instant, sawdust and chunks of bark flew in all direction.

The attack had stopped; the area was clear once more, revealing the disgusted faces of Kiba and Akamaru.

The Grass genin was home struck, suffering the attacks of both nin and his dog. His body was grated in most parts, bits of skin and clothing hanging around. He wheezed, noting his chest was pierced; a gaping hole led to his lungs.

"Guh…" He squinted at the two, lips in a sneer as blood steadily flowed from his lips. "How did you…"

"…know where you were?" Kiba blandly replied. "You were marked by Akamaru's piss. While you were phasing through the tree earlier."

The Grass genin snorted.

"Tch. A disgusting technique from a Konoha ninja…why did I even – AAAGH!"

He whimpered, eyes open in shock, when Kiba's foot landed on his right fingers and crushed the joints and bones in then.

"I'd have gone easy on you, "Kiba snorted, "but apparently, the term respect ain't in the books of the Grass Nin." He steadily smashed his foot in, every second harder and harder.

"TAKE THE SCROLL! JUST DON'T KILL ME! PLEASE!" He suddenly cried, finding the pain more unbearable by the minute. A black scroll fell from his shuriken holster, apparently from his discomfited wiggling.

_Yeah! First day and I already have my quota done!_

Kiba grinned, forgetting his grudge at the other nin on the floor. Whistling for Akamaru, both left in an instant. A gust of air the only evidence that they had been there.

The Nin continued whimpering, staring at his now horribly mangled fingers. Crying, he slowly bit off one of his fingers and chewed it thoughtfully, as if it were a carrot. His crying slowly died down, but not before he bit off his thumb.

The crunching sound continued to disturb the silence around the area, the soft whimpers and sobbing slowly died down.

-

"Kiba."

Both dog and master looked up, seeing Sasuke fall (dramatically, Kiba snorted) through the leaves of a high tree. Kiba nodded at his presence, grinning stupidly at the Uchiha.

"Sasu-chan!" Kiba teased melodiously, ignoring the look of contempt in the other boy's face. "Look what I got!" He dangled the white and black scroll in front of Sasuke's face.

Something snapped at the back of Sasuke's mind.

"Well congratulations, Tweedledee. " The Uchiha snorted, turning around and making a 'hmphing' sound. There was a red tint in his cheeks. "All hail he who has two scrolls!" He placed his hands in mock surrender.

"Oist, why are you mad, huh? You could at least be happy for me –" Kiba's eyes widened all too big. "OOOH! So that's what this is about!"

Sasuke turned into an even deeper shade of red. Kiba was snickering obnoxiously.

"You didn't get your scroll, eh?" He had precisely hit the target of Sasuke's consternation. "Ahah! That's rich! Fuck, Sasuke! Lemme guess, you burned him off the bat, didya!"

Sasuke prepared to counter, his mouth opening up for a retort. He momentarily halted, an image of a burning pile flashing through his head.

"Never mind." Sasuke shook his thoughts off. "I'm guessing he didn't have the scroll on him anyways."

Kiba only shook his head, muttering about inflating egos and people being presumptuous.

"Hey guys!" Sakura suddenly landed at Sasuke's right. "Look, Sasuke-kun! We hit the jackpot!" She held up two white scrolls by their strings. Kiba was surprised at the kunoichi's sudden appearance; he fell from the branch and on towards the ground. Akamaru yelped and leapt to catch his master.

"Oi, Kiba!" Sakura called out below them. "Come back up here."

"All right!" Kiba cheered, forgetting that he almost fell thirty feet to the ground. "Just a day, and we finished one week's worth of work!"

Sakura giggled behind her hand. "Of course, now maybe Sasuke-kun and I can go on a date now! We have the rest of the week for ourselves–"

Against Kiba's horrified looks and Akamaru cowering in fear, Sasuke paid no heed.

It was a split-second moment when he grasped the old sword by its hilt from his back; and swung it in a graceful arc.

Sakura's head –

– fell from her neck, and landed with a sickening thud by her feet.

-

"Your brother should be thankful you are here."

Sasori grimaced, poking his now-charred and faintly-smelling-like-roast-barbeque hitokugutsu (human puppet). He looked even more horrified when all of it collapsed, almost having been cremated.

"Guh! Art, from its perfection! Now completely vandalized!" The puppeteer wailed dramatically, bowing his head in mourning.

"I'm faintly more interested in the attack my little brother used." Itachi roved his sights at the burnt puppet. "These seem to be the signs of a milder version of the Amaterasu."(1)

Deidara appeared from beside Sasori, landing noiselessly.

"Pink-haired squirt has some strengths of her own, yeah? " He snorted, not noticing the condition Sasori was in at the moment.

"That Haruno girl is almost comparable to the kunoichi of the Sannin, Tsunade. She almost – Sasori-sama!" He finally caught sight of the puppeteer's mourning.

"What's the matter, yeah?" Deidara tried to make the connection between the ashes Sasori was looking at and at the puppeteer himself.

"The Uchiha runt has vandalized my most recent puppet." Sasori sniffed, affronted at the damage done. "I've never met such a person without any regard for art in its pinnacle!"

Deidara, on the other hand, looked awfully excited.

"How? Did he do some cool, explosive move! I'm sure he did, yeah? Uchihas do share my taste of what art is about! It's all the explosions, yeah? It's about the boom-boom and whatnot! Art is in the fleeting second when it explodes!"

Itachi failed the urge not to roll his eyes. Oh, he did not have the need to get himself dragged in what the other Akatsuki members dubbed as "Sasori And Deidara Debating on Art…Mostly." or simply put…SADDAM.

"That Hitokugutsu had some fanciful moves!" Sasori replied. "There's a reason it was special!"

"Which is why you shouldn't put too much time in your puppets, Sasori-sama!" Deidara countered. "If you're into art, you'd know, one day; they'll all go BOOM!"

Itachi, for the remainder of the argument, tried to block the two out. He merely eyed the destroyed puppet curiously. _Dear brother, what have YOU been doing for the past years?_

"SADDAM again?" A mechanical-like voice surfaced from the tree. Itachi spared a glance at the human Venus flytrap, mildly observing their ruckus.

"Zetsu." He politely nodded, the other responding to the gesture. "How goes your side of the group?"

"Nothing remarkable about the nin-dog user." He quipped, apparently disinterested at the topic.

"You finished him then?" Itachi raised an eyebrow at him. "Or rather, did you eat the Inuzuka kid?"

Zetsu shrugged, shaking his head.

"I was hungry." He was staring at Itachi with those blank eyes. "So I decided to eat the _Shoten_ body instead."(2)

Itachi looked away, turning towards the noisy pair. "You could have saved us the trouble and just ate the boy. He's a nuisance if you ask me."

"My plant had a taste of him." Zetsu released himself from the tree trunk and landed neatly beside Itachi. "Apparently dog meat doesn't go well with human."

Itachi turned a little green at the mental images. "Yes, thank you for that wonderful piece of information. I'm sure to use that in the near future."

_Sarcasm…sarcasm…sarcasm…_

"Where are they headed to now?" Itachi decided a change of topic was in order, asking Sasori. He was mildly wondering anyway.

"The three of them are heading in Uchiha Sasuke's general direction." Sasori cocked his head towards a direction to their side, thankful for a chance to separating himself from Deidara. He was on the losing side anyways. "Apparently, he's pissed off by Sasuke's surge of power."

"Let's disappear for awhile." Itachi murmured, jumping towards the opposite direction. "We have gauged Konoha genin's capabilities successfully. Leader will be waiting for us…"

Itachi shook his head.

"Verdict: Barely any threat."

-

Kiba looked aghast, upon seeing his teammate decapitate the only female member of their team. Akamaru was growling and barking at both ways, making incoherent messages Kiba couldn't understand.

"Sasuke!" He finally caught himself. "Fuck...you asshole! What the hell did you just…fuck!"

The Uchiha gave no attention to him, eyes covered in the fringe of his hair. He was still crouching from the clean slice he just delivered. Sakura's now-headless body fell on its knees, making an unhealthy 'thunk' on the wood beneath their feet.

**POOF!**

The body disappeared in an explosion of smoke. The only things left were the two white scrolls that fell on the area where they stood.

"Thinking you can still toy with my mind...Naruto?"

Three figures suddenly landed on a branch before them. Him with his platinum blond hair, bandaged face, and dark outfit. His impossibly indigo eyes, with a light hinting of ones-blues.

Kouryuu…or should we say…Naruto.

"Sasuke…" The name was spoken with languidness, and every syllable accented was responded by a growing smile from the intruder. Naruto breathed out a sigh at speaking the name before the owner of it.

"How fares Konoha's prodigy?" He smiled, baring hints of fangs in his pearly whites. A pink tongue darted out to run over them, pointedly slithering over the canines that threatened to draw out blood in case the muscle dared to impale itself further into the sharp point.

Sakura immediately chose to appear at that point, glancing happily and taking the two scrolls that lay beside Sasuke's feet. She immediately hardened at seeing who it was Sasuke was talking to.

Sasuke replaced his sword back to its scabbard, a small smirk gracing his lips. Their first encounter was a disaster, and Sasuke did not have the time to ogle him. The second one at the mind labyrinth was a no-show; he was busy in his efforts to resist Naruto's mindfucking. The blond would be a good apprentice to Morino Ibiki someday.

His eyes ran appreciatively over Naruto's figure, noticing how less-toned and shapely he was now, considering the past few months. There was almost the same tint of paleness one would develop after months without sun, and yet, well-developed muscles rippled out of his shoulders and even hinted itself in the mesh shirt the blond was wearing underneath the black nin suit. The darkness in his eyes, and the droopiness that came with it all the more made him…goth-sexy.

_Gah, focus Sasuke! You are not the pervert your teacher is! You are not the pervert your teacher is! You do not find leather sexy at all! No, you do not! Especially leather and chains! Wait…Naruto…leather…and chains? Guh! Threatening nosebleed! Threatening nosebleed!_

"Dobe…" Sasuke's voice miraculously sounded calm despite the inner turmoil his mind was in right now. "Did you come here for an early funeral?"

"I didn't know you were that eager to die, Sasuke?" Naruto responded back, fake disbelief in his voice. "Last time I heard, you wanted to kill your dear brother above anything else!"

Sasuke had found it. There was venom in that particular sentence he at all, very much recognized.

-

"_Because everytime we fight, I always see Itachi's face in you. I don't see you, much as you think I recognize you, Naruto." _

"_I'm so sorry…"_

-

"Naruto…" Sasuke sighed, a bit exasperated. "Don't you dare start with me about THAT again–

"Fuck you." The blond spat, glaring more effective daggers than the Uchiha glare. "I am not the weakling you tag as Naruto."

Sasuke weakly smiled back, remembering the blond's denial of his identity earlier during the first exam.

"Why, what's in a name? You, peas-for-a-brain, are still Uzumaki Naruto." Sasuke snorted, not out of mockery but disbelief. "You would still be the Uzumaki Naruto I know and remember."

It had taken but a split second for Sasuke to realize that the blond immediately disappeared from his place a few meters away and was now standing before Sasuke, grabbing and choking him by the neck. The Uchiha managed to keep a straight face despite the amount of air he was losing. Kiba and Sakura were ready to grapple the blond off, torn between their comrade and a long-lost friend, but Sasuke managed a signal with his hands for them to hold their ground and back down.

"You did not have to contend like Naruto did! _Like I did!_ That name brought sneers and faces of disgust from people all around him! _Around me!_ Why should you care about your name, _Uchiha_, when people practically worship the ground you step on?" He gritted, resolving to maintain the even pressure around Sasuke's neck. Pain was flaring up from his arm with the Shikon Shibari no Jutsu. He wasn't supposed to hurt Sasuke. And the pain he was experiencing right now was downright unimaginable.

"You…don't know…" Sasuke choked, speaking in effort with the few gasps of air that made through to his lungs. "…we are…but…the same…Naruto…"

"STOP CALLING ME THAT!" The blond screamed, shouting in the Uchiha's face. Indigo in his eyes were replaced by flecks of red and blue. "…not Naruto! I am not him! _I will not become him again!_ He's dead! DEAD damnit!"

Sasuke wheezed, letting out a satisfied gasp of air as he was noticing that the blond was losing his grip on his neck.

"You are…fooling yourself. Naruto is still alive." He murmured, so soft only the blond would hear him.

Naruto shook, angry eyes glaring at him. Yet, there was no strength nor intensity in those glares. They were tear-rimmed, threatening to cascade rivulets down his bandages and whiskered scars.

"As long as…a person still remembers…still believes in him…"

Sasuke whispered; face traversing the short distance between him and blond's.

"Naruto cannot die. He lives in my heart…I have taken a part of his soul and kept it when I saved him the first time in Wave Country…"

Hot breath hitting chaffed lips…a few inches more…just a few more…

"If he is dead…I will revive him. If he refuses to return, I'll drag him back from whether heaven or hell or what place his sorry soul went into…"

Cool lips touched heated ones.

"If he'll have me back…then I will have him back as well…"

"I love you…Naruto…"

A chaste kiss. The soft sensation of lip to lip. Sasuke's hand traveled towards the back of the blond's head, prodding it to go forwards. The brunette felt the soft pressure of the other's lips over his.

They parted slowly, like that of kisses in tales of tragic love. Sasuke's lonely eyes glanced unsure towards the blond's unseeing ones.

"Do that in front of my teammates…and I'll kill you."

Sasuke looked bewildered, unsure of the blond's response. _From what I heard, people usually ask for another kiss they enjoy when they get one. Not threatening to kill them._

He noticed _that particular crimson glint _in the blond's eyes.

"What are you talking about?" Sasuke spoke suddenly all too loudly, bordering the lines of obnoxious. "That was thanks for the two white scrolls you gave us!"

Naruto looked at him like he was crazy, a shadow of a smile flitted through his lips before it all disappeared. He turned around, glaring much more poisonous daggers at Kabuto and Gaara. The two merely whistled and kept their stares at anything besides the two.

"That's insurance for making sure your team actually passes this lousy excuse for an exam, Uchiha." Naruto spoke, all somber and hollow. "I'll be damned when you fail even this portion of the exam."

Kiba snorted at the side, murmuring to himself.

"Insurance, I'm sure. You just wanted to get snogged by Sasuke…"

He yelped in surprise, stepping back as a kunai dug itself a few centimeters away from Kiba's head and onto the tree trunk.

Naruto made a boastful sound, before jumping back and returning towards his teammates. The three immediately disappeared, rustling leaves as they went on their way.

-

"HAVE YOU GONE INSANE!" Sakura, after a few minutes of not even breathing, finally exploded in a pink-haired fashion. "What are you, mental! You don't snog people out of the blue! People get kunais driven in their guts for even trying! Sasuke, you're a genius! Surely you can figure the logic in that!"

Kiba shook his head, suddenly jumping at Akamaru's back and hugging the dog in its neck. "What the hell were you talking about, Sakura! That was damn HOT! One thing for certain, I am taking a cold shower later damnit!" He turned a nasty eye at the Uchiha. "It's your fault if I don't sleep tonight, bastard!"

Sasuke, still happy from the thought of stealing a kiss from Naruto, shrugged nonchalantly. Chibi-Sasukes in his head were doing victory signs and happy dances. _If there is two things for certain, one is that I'LL need the cold shower! The other one is that I won't be the one to sleep well tonight._

"Oist…Sasuke!"

Sasuke turned a nasty eye at Kiba, wishing for an excuse to impale the dog lover with a million kunai. Anything that disturbed him from his fantasies with a certain blond boy with whiskered scars and deep blue eyes must deserve a horrible, slow and gruesome death.

"There's…uhm…"

"There's a letter stuck in the kunai Naruto threw at me earlier."

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(1) Amaterasu - other attack executed by the Mangekyou Sharingan. It uses fire that is said to be hotter than the sun's and burns for seven days and seven nights. Itachi had used this technique to escape Jiraiya's frog esophagus enclosure technique (hm, forgot the name).

Tsukiyomi - we saw this Itachi use it against Kakashi and Sasu-chan.

Amaterasu - Itachi used this against Jiraiya's technique.

Susanoo(?) - undisclosed; probably the last technique of the MS series.

(2) Shoten - This technique creates a duplicate of a person using another body. This duplicate's abilities are proportionate to, and limited by, the amount of chakra given to it by the duplicated person. This jutsu can't be seen through by the Sharingan or Byakugan. It seems to be unable to duplicate bloodlines, though this may be because of a chakra limitation. It is precise enough, however, to allow the copy to reproduce most of the jutsu of the original, minus those abilities requiring kekkei genkai or other special traits. The duplicates can either be controlled autonomously, or be controlled by the originals. Once the chakra runs out and the sacrificial body dies, the Shapeshifting Technique will end and the lifeless body used will be revealed. (source: wikipedia)

Thanks to hecate-19 for reminding me about Amaterasu and Shoten. -is ashamed-

Gods, I am not doing fight scenes anymore! Nooooo! The experience is much more worse than pulling your own teeth out with pliers! It was the main reason why this chapter took far more time to complete. I don't like this chapter much, except the last parts of the chapter. Ecchi-minded Sasuke is just downright funny and dangerous towards an innocent and completely oblivious Naruto.

So now, the attempt to make the whole Forest of Death arc fit in one chapter is finished. Thank you to everyone who sent me a review! Even those with the 'update please, yaoi roxxor!' Herdeus does read and smile at it.

This is just sixty percent of the overall chapter. I'm sorry if the wording sucks as of the moment (been contemplating on getting a beta anyway.) Don't worry! I'll edit this sooner or later.


	31. Where is your loyalty, Naruto?

Disclaimer: Thou doest not claimeth ownership to Naruto. Henceforth, any man who believes thou is the master of the blond stud muffin, I shall slaughter thee , thy blasphemous being, with a slew of heavy English words, unless thy name is Kishimoto Masashi.

So here we are. I decided to skip a few chapters and incorporated it instead into flashbacks. I decided I'll just squeeze in later chapters, but for now, I'll go directly with the story. I've decided its quite long enough to be sticking to only one chapter.

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The stadium was roaring with cheers once more. People, both ninja and civilian alike, had dropped their jobs to witness the year's Chuunin exams. Screaming, howling, yelling, shouting…so many people with heightened spirits brought about by the passion of the event that was about to happen.

Leaves were swirling aimlessly around the battlefield. The atmosphere is tense, contradictory to the excitement happening in the audience' stand.

Unmistakable blue eyes flecked with red met gazes with ebony eyes slowly transforming into the Sharingan wheels.

"How ironic." The first boy spoke, eyes running at each spectator appreciatively. "Do they imagine that they are safe up there?"

"Your fight is with me, dobe."

He sneered. "I will make sure that I do no serious harm with your body, Sasuke." He tilted his head upwards in a display of intimidation. "It will be a waste should a scar run through porcelain skin."

"You should stop worrying about me, idiot." The other boy clutched the hilt of his sword. "You'll have more to worry about yourself later on."

"Tch. Suit yourself."

"Fine."

"Fine."

"…fine."

The cheers and yells slowly died down from all sides. Only the howl of a passing wind that stirred up dust and leaves into the air.

"Inshi Kouryuu from Hidden Sound Village" A loud boo and hisses immediately followed. Naruto only tilted his head in acknowledgement at the name.

"Uchiha Sasuke from Hidden Leaf Village." Cheers and yells erupted from the stands immediately. Sasuke didn't give as much as a tilt of his head as introduction.

The presiding Chuunin's eyes flicked briefly towards the Fifth Hokage, who gave him a slight nod. Nodding back in confirmation, he turned towards the genins.

"You may use any weapons you like. You may use bloodline techniques and hiden (secret) jutsus, but limit it to only defeating your opponent. No purposeful killing of the other."

Naruto cocked an eyebrow at the last rule. _As if that would work. 'Accidents' do happen quite often._

"Good luck to both of you."

He slammed his hand down to the ground in an instant.

"HAJIME!"

The stadium immediately exploded to a conflagration of dust and rocks. The wind blew out and up from the stadium, a sonic boom resulting from the sudden acceleration.

The final battle for the Chuunin Exams has now started.

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Chapter 31: Where Is Your Loyalty, Naruto? The Tragedy of Konoha.

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_Sasuke's Flashbacks_

"_So…what did the letter say?"_

_Sasuke crinkled his eyebrows. Kiba thought that the letter contained something nasty or archaic that was too cryptic even for the genius Uchiha to decipher. Maybe he should have Sakura look at it too…_

"_Anoo…mind if I have a look, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura offered, looking a bit sheepish. Inner Sakura was nudging her to find out what the hell was in the letter._

_Sasuke still remained rooted, his hands tightening on the note every minute more._

"_Ah..."_

_The moment Sasuke's lips quivered a sound out, Kiba and Sakura were crouching closer, ready to hear what he had to say about the note apparently from the blond._

"_Can't read this damn chicken scrawl." He sighed._

_Both Kiba and Sakura face-vaulted onto the branch they were standing. Sasuke just continued sighing, tucking the note away in his holster._

_They shouldn't know what was in the note._

_Sasuke could clearly read the note._

_He was well-versed with Naruto's handwriting anyway._

_-_

Once the smoke had cleared, the two were revealed; right fists against each other. Both were gritting in intense concentration, as the joints and muscles in their arms and shoulders tensed more and more at delivering a punch against the other.

"Aaagh!" Sasuke yowled, when he felt the lower joint of his middle finger dig itself away from its place. He remained steadfast though, unminding the pain of the dislocation that occurred.

Naruto took notice and used his free hand to slap their fists separate. He snarled, double flipping backwards, flinging a kunai at the stumbling Uchiha.

Sasuke responded by using his wrist guard in halting the kunai's trajectory path. The knife bounced off, clanging loudly, as it cart wheeled in mid air wherein Sasuke expertly grabbed its hilt and flung it back to its owner. His hands did a seal as the knife left his hand.

"Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" (Kunai Shadow Clone Technique!)

The kunai immediately multiplied to six knives. The blond had been careful to dodge the first four, but the last two had hit their mark well. One had lodged itself neatly in Naruto's forehead protector while the other right smack at the center of Naruto's heart.

The people gasped as the Sound genin stumbled back a bit. He coughed up blood after successfully pulling both kunais out of his heart and forehead.

"You really want to kill me, do you?" He cocked an eyebrow.

He immediately threw the kunais a little above the direction of Sasuke's head.

The blond suddenly exploded in an instant. The force of the blast caught with the kunais, accelerating them faster and faster.

"What the…"

Sasuke had a split second to react when a hand shot up from beneath his feet. He immediately jumped up in instinct, his vision upon the platinum blond head peeking from the ground; his hands mere centimeters from grasping his feet.

Naruto's lips curled up in an evil smirk.

The two kunais hurled earlier by Naruto clone sped in an unimaginable speed past Sasuke, nearly hitting both sides of his face by only a few millimeters. Two resulting shallow cuts appeared instantaneously from where the kunais nearly grazed Sasuke's face.

Sasuke heard two more whizzing sounds coming for him. Another set of knives coming from the earlier kunai's direction were hurling towards him, this time aiming for his heart.

_Shit, the dobe hid the other pair of kunais in the shadow of the earlier ones. _Sasuke gritted, recognizing the tactic as what they had done with Zabuza and the windmill shuriken way back in Wave Country.

"Seneijashu!" (Hidden Shadow Snake Hand!)

Sasuke shook in surprise again as he felt something twine itself around his right leg. To his surprise, Naruto was still smirking at him; eyes gleeful. A coil of snakes had shot out from his right arm and entwined itself on Sasuke's ankle.

"Fuck…so you also managed to inherit the bastard Sannin's snake techniques?" Sasuke gritted between teeth, attention diverted back and forth to the two kunais coming for him and the snakes that were biting into his leg.

"That's not all I've learned Sasuke." Naruto murmured, struggling to keep the Uchiha in place for the kunais. "You should see me more if you can get out of this situation –"

"…_tora, inu, nezumi, saru…"_

Naruto snarled, unfamiliar with the technique. Nevertheless, he used his other arm to shoot snakes towards Sasuke's hands. The technique shouldn't be completed –

"CHIDORI NAGASHI!" (Thousand Birds Current!)

Electricity ran like prominences around Sasuke's body. The kunai were immediately sliced in half, directions altered by the differing magnetism that resulted from the technique. The same electricity ran in large rivulets down the snakes that shrieked in pain.

Naruto was shocked, literally, as electricity so different from the Chidori flowed in him. Unlike the Chidori, a high voltage type of technique which merely struck through and destroyed anything it touched; the Chidori Nagashi seemed to be a low voltage type. Instead of traveling at the body's surface to cause superficial pain, it ran through the body, affecting even the internal organs.

Naruto didn't expect Sasuke to have used his time to develop his own jutsu during the last few weeks. Owing to the character that he was, he assumed the boy would continue training to strengthen his current jutsus. Which was why Naruto tried to build defenses against each known jutsu he knew Sasuke used.

Sasuke was panting, bending on one knee as he collected his breath. The snakes on his legs were still firmly attached; the other coil that failed to reach his arms lay limply outstretched from Naruto's sleeves.

A sliver of metal shocked the audience as they found one piercing through Sasuke's right leg. The Uchiha cried out as he fell back in pain, eyes looking anywhere as pain flooded his body.

A snake was issuing the Kusanagi Tsurugi from its mouth, and in doing so, passed through Sasuke's ankle; destroying the ligament connecting the Achilles Heel and shattering several bones in the joint of his leg and foot.

"Kusanagi Tsurugi: Ku no Tachi! "(Kusanagi Sword: Long Sword of the Heavens!)

Naruto weakly smiled, satisfied at what he had done. He immediately retracted the snakes from Sasuke's leg, claiming the sword from the snake's mouth.

"The Grasscutter, Kusanagi no Tsurugi." Naruto brandished the sword in the light. It made a mournful wail in its wake. "The same sword that pierced through the hearts of two Hokages. A legendary weapon I could say."

Naruto's thoughts traveled to what happened a few days ago.

-

_Naruto's flashback_

_-_

"_What's…happening? Where…where did it go?"_

"_Anou…Orochimaru-sama…"_

"_SILENCE, WORM! Just…shut up for awhile…"_

_Naruto could do nothing but wait out the passing storm. Orochimaru made gagging noises as he tried to force something out of his throat._

"_Naruto-kun…" Kabuto appeared shortly, having left a while ago after being lashed out by an irate Orochimaru. "The sword hasn't appeared yet?"_

"_Apparently, no." Naruto bit his lower lip, trying to ease the tension. "The Kusanagi no Tsurugi…it is a special sword, is it not?"_

"_It is a legendary sword, Naruto-kun. They say it came from the tail of the Hachibi no Yoko, the Snake Demon." Kabuto grimaced, a bit pitying the Snake Sannin over wasted efforts. "It is a sword that answers only to Orochimaru-sama, and was used to kill the Sandaime Hokage."_

"_Sword of the Heavens, huh?" Naruto sighed. "Kusanagi no Tsurugi…"_

_-shaak!-_

"_AAAGH!"_

_Naruto's eyes shot up in pain, a sword of medium length pierced out through his left sleeve and dropped on the floor, bloody and quivering. The sword momentarily glowed for a few seconds before losing its luster._

"_Shit! What the hell just happened?" The blond cussed, as much as anyone would react to finding a sword suddenly slide out of their left sleeve, all bloody and glowy._

"_Orochimaru-sama…" Kabuto knelt beside the blond, hands glowing greenish with healing chakra. "…why did the sword not listen to you?"_

_Orochimaru glared at his left hand, more pointedly at the tattoo of a sun. "The damn seal must have tinkered something. It was supposed to only leach emotions from Naruto-kun…not pass authorization over summoning…"_

_Naruto hissed, glaring at the sword. The pain felt like his arm bone was shucked out of his muscles and skin; and all he got was some stupid sword he was sure to not even use. The preference with kunai and shuriken won over him rather than the idea of using a sword, no matter how special or legendary it would be._

"_Use it…" Orochimaru snorted, flipping his hand in surrender. _

"_N-nani?" Naruto looked distraught, he sure did not want that sword climbing back inside his arm. "O-orochimaru-sama! This sword is yours! I don't need this sword!"_

"_I don't need relics I cannot rely upon." Orochimaru glared evilly at the innocent item, hating it more for not reacting to his death glares. Snorting one more time, he sported his disguise and roughly opened the door, almost bumping into Gaara. The redhead merely stayed at the side, letting the grumpy Sannin walkthrough before allowing himself entry into their three-bed room._

_Needless to say, he was a bit perplexed to see Kabuto bandaging a forlorn Naruto, who was pointedly worrying at a bloody sword before him._

"_What happened to you?" He bit out, blunt and to the point._

"_Naruto summoned Kusanagi without knowing it." Kabuto murmured, nudging his head towards the sword's direction. "Orochimaru-sama apparently did not like the treachery the sword committed against him."_

"_Oh, did you, Naruto?" Gaara turned his direction towards the somber blond, who was intently studying the blade._

_Naruto looked up at the now-condescending redhead. Oh how he wanted to pummel Gaara for his curiosity! Just this once! He was ready to bite out a sarcastic remark at him when something piqued his curiosity._

"_Gaara…where is your necklace?"_

_The redhead looked at him stupidly._

"_Necklace? What necklace?"_

_Talk about senility._

"_Your fucking red necklace. The necklace that was supposed to make you their damn Kazekage!" Naruto growled irritatingly. Pain and patience were never a good mix where Naruto was concerned._

_Gaara looked at him straight in the eye._

"…_mmfhmm…grhmmfmm…"_

"_Say what?"_

"…_lost it…I lost it somewhere during my midnight run."_

_Naruto stared at him weirdly, like he was some fucking head case._

"_You lost the damn thing that was the sole reason why you're even here…and you're acting just damn fine about it?"_

"_Calm down, Uzumaki…"_

"_No shit, mascara boy! I know you're not that careless! The one more thing I hate about people other than they're from Konoha are those that are liars!"_

_Gaara tensed up, muscles tightening in his arms._

"_You want to know, Uzumaki? Fine, I'll tell you!" Gaara bit out, irked as well by the irate blond. "I used it. But that's all I will speak for now!"_

"_Holy fu- Kabuto-san, stop being an ass and loosen up the bandage, will ya? And the hell are you gaping at me like some damn fish out of water?"_

_Kabuto slowly edged away from him._

"_You…you're angry?"_

_Naruto was about to release another scathing remark, but the words of the medic-nin suddenly sunk in, along with their implications._

"_I…I am…but the seal…wasn't it supposed to drain ANY of these types of emotions…"_

_Naruto inched back, finding a kunai millimeters away from his Adam's apple._

"_Y…you're afraid. You're heartbeat had risen, and your sweat activity increased by three folds. Naruto-kun! You're not supposed to be afraid!"_

_There was no time for Naruto to react, as he felt the seal on his left hand singe his skin. _

_All it took were a few moments for fear and anger to drain away from him; leaving him in the same blissful state of mind he was in a few weeks ago._

_He was a bit worried though._

_It looked as if the seal…_

…_was starting to fail._

_-_

Naruto was brought out from his reminiscing by a silvery slash that issued from a quick swish of Sasuke's arms. The blond had recovered from the shock earlier and had duck-flipped a few meters back.

"How rude." Naruto frowned, pouting. "Slashing someone who was thinking of something else."

"How idiotic." Sasuke mock-frowned, stabbing his sword back onto the ground as he did a few seals. Green chakra enveloped his right hand as he placed it above his leg wound. The cut simply sizzled and burned away, leaving no scar in place.

"Daydreaming in front of his opponent."

Naruto's eyes fell on the sword beside Sasuke.

"I see you've got a new toy with you, Sasuke." Naruto placed himself in a ready stance for charging.

Sasuke just finished healing, standing up and taking the sword with one arm. "Oh, this old junk? The Frog Boss gave it to me."

Sasuke brought the sword up in defense. "He said I should use it for traitors. Said something about never forgiving persons who betrayed his clan."

Naruto brought his hands once more in a series of fast hand seals. His eyes did not leave Sasuke, whose Sharingan were starting to swirl once more.

"Doton: Ta -"

"-churo Gaeshi no Jutsu!"(Earth Release: Many Pillars Return Technique!)

Sasuke and Naruto both finished the same technique and mouthed out the name of the technique at the same time. Slamming both their hands down, a large number of earth pillars rose at all sides; effectively impaling the area around and making it look like a petrified forest sprouting out all of a sudden.

Immediately, both ninjas disappeared in blurs. Only dust clouds and the sound of feet tapping the ground resonated in the area. Sounds were heard all around, wind rushing as if something fast just passed by the area. A lot of the audience had to stand to look around where the two ninjas had disappeared.

The two suddenly appeared, with a sharp clang of their swords, above a rock pillar in the center of the arena. Sparks flew from both swords at the contact made; before both suddenly disappeared once more.

Naruto appeared below, and with grace and definition, neatly sliced a rock pillar in half. He forcefully kicked the dislodged pillar towards the audience stand to the left. A few seconds more and the audience will get flattened by the two-ton rock…

"YOU COWARD!" Sasuke angrily appeared just in front of the fast moving pillar. He dropkicked the rock pillar, splitting it in half before it accelerated below, hitting with another rock below, and decimating both. "You DARE risk their lives in front of dignitaries from other countries and from the other nation's kages?"

"I just figured it out Sasuke." Naruto slashed two more rock pillars, his voice teetering on insanity. "Why delay my revenge on this damn village when I can do it now in the exams? The other countries might see this as an opportunity to bring Konoha down!"

Naruto did a roundhouse kick, sending the two rock pillars towards a path directed outside the stadium to the urban areas. Sasuke muttered a curse, immediately doing rapid hand seals while jumping towards the rock pillars, intercepting them.

"Chidori!" (Thousand Birds!)

Electricity issued from his right hand once more, as he thrust it towards the center of the first rocks. The pillars crumbled into grit and fine dust, as electricity ran in forks across the surface.

Sasuke used the last of his momentum to channel through the cloud of dust towards the other boulder and flip-kick the rock pillar in order to divert its direction back to the owner. Flipping through another set of hand seals, he sharply inhaled a large breath, cheeks puffing out a large stream of fire.

"Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique!)

Naruto immediately did the seal and summoned a Kage Bunshin at his side. The clone hastily directed swirling motions at the blond's outstretched right palm. The makings of the Rasengan were immediately completed as the clone popped.

"RASENGAN!" Naruto reached out with the swirling ball of chakra towards the flaming ball. The Gokakyu jutsu broke apart from the force of the sphere, but behind the fireball came the fast moving rock pillar. Naruto remained unperturbed, hands still outstretched at the oncoming projectile.

The Rasengan made second contact, grinding the rock into dust as it slammed forward into the bluish ball. Halfway the rock was being grinded down–

-when it suddenly disappeared in a cloud of smoke. There was a whirring sound of metal as chains shot out of the cloud and suddenly whirled around the chakra maelstrom; effectively, swirling round and round Naruto's arm and body.

"Got you!" Sasuke appeared above, chains on both hands with one on his mouth.

"Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu!" (Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique!)

Sasuke issued flames from his mouth, traveling towards the number of chains he held in his hands. He held the chains closer, tightening their hold around Naruto, as the heat traveled downwards to the bound Naruto.

"You can't cut through these chains, Naruto! They're strengthened by chakra, just give up now and I'll–"

A smirk graced the bound Naruto's lips as the Kusanagi Tsurugi flew through the chains and severed them, the fire dissipating at the broken end of the chain. Naruto easily broke through the chakra-less chains, stretching his hand out as the sword flew back into his hand.

"As I said Sasuke."

Naruto created three Kage Bunshins of himself, each with a version of the Kusanagi Tsurugi.

"I spent the last few weeks creating defenses against your jutsus."

He ran, sword in both hands, while the three clones followed; jumping from pillar and pillar. The Kusanagi Tsurugi glowed bluish-white once more, thrumming with chakra and the user's intent to kill.

-

"_So…did you find a way to release Naruto from the seal, Hokage-sama?"_

_Tsunade looked up to the somber face of Sasuke, looking at her impassively in front of the Hokage's desk._

"_No…not yet."_

_Sasuke looked away, saddened at the prospect. The note was more and more being crushed in one of his hands._

"_Did…you at least find something new about that Shikon no jutsu?"_

_Tsunade brought her arms to rest on the table, her fingers overlapping against each other to provide support for her chin, all in a contemplative stance. _

"_We found faults with the jutsu. But this is all basically guesswork. Sasuke-kun…please sit down."_

_As Sasuke took the proffered chair, Shizune came in with tea and some dango for the both of them. Sasuke merely eyed the treat with hidden disgust; it was the same sweets his brother Itachi loved, and it reminded him more of his missing, clan-decimating brother._

"_I've sent Iruka and Kakashi through different libraries in each ninja village they would come across. There had been other accounts of the jutsu in their own village, and some of them had successfully dispelled the jutsu from the victim."_

"_So…" Sasuke took a sip of his green tea. "How did they dispel the jutsu?"_

_Tsunade took a few bundles of paper by her side, skimming its contents down. "Apparently, after they captured the escaping nin that used the jutsu, and killing him for the record, the effects would immediately wear off. The last memories that the victim would recall is meeting the user of the jutsu."_

_The sound of Sasuke's tea cup tapped hollow in the room. "Orochimaru's not a god, it wouldn't be impossible to kill him; just that it would take a great amount of difficulty doing so."_

"_You weren't listening, brat." Tsunade rubbed her forehead. "This is the hard part. Orochimaru used a different version of the Shikon Shibari. Unlike the normal ones the other village encountered, Naruto's is more of an advanced stage."_

_She brandished a set of reports written in neat calligraphy (Sasuke assumed it was Iruka-sensei's). "Apparently there is more to it than what we have just read in the book I seemingly lost…"_

_Sasuke coughed, looking away._

"_Anyway," Tsunade rumbled, as if undisturbed. "One, not only will the host die if the victim dies; but we assume this happens vice-versa as well. Orochimaru will also die if ever Naruto would also…"_

"_I understand." Sasuke cut her in. "So, killing Orochimaru is out of the option."_

"_Yes…and two is that the seal is not self-sustaining. Orochimaru needs to constantly pump chakra into it in order for it to effectively function. The other case here is that a special chakra transporting substance would have to be used. And it is usually the binding agent. There is one thing that can be used to bind host and nin to each other: Its through blood, as it is the most accessible and easily saturated by chakra."_

"…_blood…" Sasuke wrinkled at the thought. "So…the two of them would have to…'exchange'…blood?"_

"_The point of exchange is where the seal would usually form." Tsunade nodded. "So I am assuming from your information that Naruto and Orochimaru have had their seals both at their hands."_

"_Orochimaru would not be able to pump in regular chakra, to the seal, that comes from his chakra circulatory system. He has to use chakra saturated in his blood for the seal to function."_

"_That's no good either." Sasuke frowned. "Orochimaru would have to be drained of his blood, and that would kill him; ultimately killing Naruto as well."_

"_I've tried contemplating on asking the Aburame clan's assistance. Try to drain Orochimaru of his chakra. But we do not know the amount needed to just drain Orochimaru long enough for the seal to desist functioning. The bugs will just drain the chakra from his chakra circulatory system. If Orochimaru gets enough rest, he can recover his lost chakra and get Naruto back."_

"_Not to mention how hard it will be get the snake to stay in one place. You don't think he'd just stand there waiting to be swarmed by the destruction bugs, wouldn't he?" Sasuke snorted in his tea._

"_Yes, I've thought of that too." Tsunade sighed. "Orochimaru might even kill them before they get a chance to swarm him with their bugs."_

"_What about Jyuuken?" (Gentle Fist)_

_Tsunade sighed. "I've also thought about it. We can use it to block chakra flow from his arms…"_

"…_but the chakra flowing into the seal travels with his blood. There's no point unless we prevent the blood in the first place."_

_Sasuke's eyes lit up._

"_There is no point severing his arm, right? Orochimaru will just have Kabuto grow it back. And unless there is a permanent tourniquet jutsu, there is no way of preventing blood from traveling in and out of his arm."_

"_What are you muttering gibberish, brat?"_

_Sasuke turned a feral smirk at her. "I'll go get Jiraiya-sama. I'm pretty sure the technique that I need is with him. I'm pretty sure the Fourth will feel very proud knowing his technique might save this village one more time…"_

_-_

"Kusanagi no Tsurugi: Aoitsuki no Mai!"(Sword of Kusanagi: Dance of the Blue Moon!)

The blond and his three clones disappeared, reappearing a few seconds later at each cardinal direction of Sasuke.

Sasuke did a hand seal of his own, and out appeared three Kage Bunshins of himself, holding the same sword as he was.

"Hiden Tsurugi Shiki: Seiryuu no Jutsu!" (Secret Sword Style: Art of the Blue Dragon!)

The four Sasukes whirled around a bit, a few seconds before the four Naruto's blades met up with them; he immediately disappeared in a hastily executed Shunshin no jutsu.

"What the!" Naruto clambered with the hilt of his sword as all four of them were staving off a Sasuke of their own. Four Sasukes and four Narutos were clashing swords and running in intricate patterns across the pillared arena.

Each clone and each ninja performed the sword styles with perfect timing and execution. Evenly matched and precise to the last inches of their blades; it was like looking at a warrior fighting his own reflection. Sasuke mirrored Naruto's sword all the way to the end.

"I sure as hell don't think you can copy this jutsu, Sasuke-bastard." Naruto weakly grinned, as his arm was thrown to the side with the force of Sasuke's backslash. "How the fuck can you keep up with me?"

"Idiot." Sasuke smirked, as his own arm was now thrown to the side with the force of Naruto's backslash. "My Sharingan not only allows me to copy techniques; it also allows me to develop a counter attack for any jutsus."

"You and your damn bloodline." Naruto growled. "Just because you have those damn eyes doesn't make you better than the rest of the world."

Their bunshins popped in an instant, all six impaling their swords at the other. Sasuke and Naruto momentarily stopped, panting and tired at the fighting and release of their jutsus.

"You know…I've acknowledged your strength, Naruto." Sasuke whispered, catching his breath in between words. "Because you always took the hard way to gain the respect of other people."

"I DIDN'T NEED THE DAMN RESPECT AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENT OF OTHER PEOPLE, SASUKE!" Naruto yelled from the bottom of his heart. "I just wanted yours! But you're a fucking damn liar! You've always been to me– "

_Naruto…_

The blond stilled, his eyes turning towards the Sound jounin. His lips were opening and closing in silence, but Naruto could hear the words all too well.

_You monster…you demon…faggot…hope you die…_

Naruto braced himself, shivering all over at once at the familiar words. All coherent thoughts disappeared in an instant. His eyes, once flecked with blue and red, turned back to milky indigo.

_Sasuke doesn't want you…Konoha threw you out…nobody wants a faggot and a demon…_

"You bastard-snake!" Sasuke saw the whole exchange, and the sudden transformation of Naruto. He immediately lunged for the blond Sound jounin, only to be immediately smothered by a wall of sand. He stepped off the wall and prepared a series of hand seals.

"It's Gaara! Kankuro, it's him!" Temari called out from the sidelines. She immediately jumped towards them, followed by his brother.

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade finally confirmed the Sound jounin's identity and took off her Hokage robe. She immediately lunged for the wall of sand, punching it with force hard enough to dissipate it. "I've had enough of your foul tricks, bastard!"

The wall of sand revealed a prepared Gaara brandishing a whip made of sand. Tsunade staved them off with her fists, slowly incoming towards the trio's direction.

"Futon: Daitoppa!" (Wind Release: Great Breakthrough!)

Orochimaru spewed a gust of wind from the mouth, surprising Tsunade and blowing her back a good distance.

"I was saving the invasion for later, but it seems Naruto is of the impatient side." The snake Sannin smirked, raising his right arm up. Naruto suddenly appeared at his side, fangs baring and eyes darkened. He looked more like an animal now than that of a human's.

Both bit into their fingers until blood came out, and drove their palm to the ground. They were running through the hand seals required for a large Kuchiyose jutsu.

"Ninpou!"

A good distance away, Sasuke was crackling with sparks of electricity across his body. His sword emitted an eerie blue glow, encased in a dense layer of electric chakra. His free hand was placed in a 'kai' position, signifying the end of a large technique.

"Chidori Dai Nagashi!" (A Thousand Birds Great Current!)

All of a sudden, he disappeared in an explosion of electric energy. The explosion erupted towards both of them, running in an erratic zig-zag.

Naruto faced the electric onslaught and bore his hands down, face now impassive. There was a trembling of the ground as the electric ball drew closer and closer.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Sanju' Rashomon!" (Summoning Technique: Triple Rashomon!)

Three Rashomon gates appeared between them, the first gate ultimately decimated with contact at the Chidori Dai Nagashi jutsu. The second gate was torn at the center, a gaping hole now being showcased.

At last, the electric ball dug desperately at the third gate. Already lost with a lot of energy, it failed to go through the last Rashomon, only making a prominent dent.

The electricity dissipated, revealing a weak Sasuke holding onto his sword. Barely having any strength left to keep standing, he was leaning on for support at the sword that stuck through the gates of the last Rashomon.

Both techniques apparently drained each other; Naruto and Sasuke. The blond was kneeling on both knees, the ability of summoning three gates already hard enough after the earlier fight he had been on. Sasuke, on the other hand, had reached three-quarters of his limit in releasing Chidori attacks. Two more and his chakra supply would be nil.

Orochimaru finally finished the summoning technique, bearing his palm down onto the ground. A large circle stretched out, farther and farther until it reached the borders of Konoha. Chakra was steadily flowing out of his hand.

"Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Shin Yonju Rashomon!" (Summoning: Quadruple True Rashomon!"

Four obviously-much-larger-and-more-menacing Rashomon gates appeared from each side of the town. The ground creaked as metal pushed through the earth and blocked out the sun in some areas of Konoha.

"Shin! Sai! Yamato! Tohma!" Tsunade summoned for the four ANBU captains, who immediately appeared at her side. "Get the other jounins and have them station at each gate that appeared! Sai, go get Kakashi and Jiraiya after directing a jounin group towards each gate! Hurry and go!"

"Hai! Hokage-sama!" The four bowed, and disappeared as quickly as they appeared. Tsunade immediately rushed to Sasuke's side and handed him a black pellet of some sort.

"Chakra-replenishment pills." Tsunade answered Sasuke's confused expression.

"They'll give you back lost chakra."

Sasuke crunched one and drunk the canteen of water the Hokage gave him. "Wait, what about Naruto?"

Tsunade merely cocked her head towards the direction of Kabuto handing a differently colored pellet to the tired blond. Kabuto was whispering something to Naruto, who seemingly just nodded.

From faraway, Sasuke could hear the sounds of battle starting. The gates of Rashomon have opened, letting Sound ninjas inside the village. Konoha and Sand, who honored the alliance between them, fought side by side. The other Kages of the Mist, Grass and Rock continued to stay neutral, just watching from the sidelines and defending themselves if need be.

Almost all the people have been evacuated, the streets of Konoha were desolate once more. Fires were burning in the village, smoke rose in some parts of Konoha.

It was midway through the tragedy of Konoha.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

So know we have the directory of jutsus! Take note that some of these aren't mine, and some are mine. But I'm not telling. A bit of spoiler for non-manga readers, but its all the same. When this chapter is posted, the start of the Kakashi Gaiden in Naruto anime would have commenced.

Kunai Kage Bunshin no Jutsu – lit. Kunai Shadow Clone Technique. The user throws any number of kunais at the opponents, and by using the seal of Kage Bunshin, enables him to multiply the knives any number he wants. Since this is a shadow clone, the knives have the ability to hurt and draw blood. And unlike normal Kage Bunshin, the knives do not require much chakra, making this skill a bit useful and prolific. There is also a version for shurikens, which of course is the Shuriken Kage Bunshin no Jutsu. (Shuriken Shadow Clone Technique)

Seneijashu – lit. Hidden Shadow Snake Hand. By creating a punching motion towards the target, the user can summon snakes from their wrists and clamp on to the target. Orochimaru and Anko are the basic users of this technique. A stronger version of this jutsu is the Seneitajashu or the Hidden Shadow Many Snakes Hand wherein the snakes can extend to even a very long distance.

Chidori – lit. One Thousand Birds. Chakra is concentrated in the user's hand until it becomes visible. This energy is then thrust forward in a straight line towards the opponent. Only two users are known to know this technique, Kakashi and Sasuke; although it is believed that Itachi knows it as well owing to the fact that he had witnessed Sasuke using this jutsu.

Chidori Nagashi – lit. One Thousand Birds Current. By allowing chakra to travel around Sasuke's body, this jutsu is perfect for defense and can be used for offense as well. Chidori Nagashi allows Sasuke to cut through normal weapons and paralyze anyone that is stabbed by his weapon. It can also stun any number of melee attackers that are foolish enough to approach Sasuke in this state.

Chidori Dainagashi – lit. One Thousand Bird Great Current. A stronger version of the Chidori Nagashi, the chakra surrounding Sasuke is so strong that it almost looks like Sasuke is being encased in a large lightning bolt. The jutsu allows the user to move at Shunshin (Body flicker) speeds and crash at any obstacle with the same effects of Chidori. So far, the only jutsu capable of stopping it was Naruto's and Orochimaru's Sanju Rashomon.

Shunsin no Jutsu - lit. Body Flicker Technique. By using chakra, a user can move at very high speeds to a designated area as it almost looks like the user teleported. There are a lot of versions, Suna Shunsin (Sand Body Flicker), Mizu Shunsin (Water Body Flicker) or Konoha Shunsin (Leaf Body Flicker). Blah, Shunsin doesn't compare with speed against Yondaime's Hiraishin though.

Hiraishin - lit. Flying Thunder God. This earned Yondaime the name 'Yellow Flash of Konoha'. Instead of applying the mechanics of Shunsin and use chakra to move to a location, Hiraishin actually summons yourself into the location. Yondaime used jutsu-shikis or technique formulas (usually applied to his kunais or the areas he had touched earlier) as anchor points for the jutsu. This technique gave victory for Konoha in the great Iwa-Konoha ninja wars.

Kusanagi Tsurugi: Ku no Tachi – lit. Kusanagi Sword: Long Sword of the Heavens. This jutsu arms the user with the Kusanagi sword, a legendary sword said to have come from the tail of an 8-headed monster (possibly Hachibi no Yoko?) The sword holds strange properties and follows every bidding of its user. It can extend to great lengths too, and is known to have pierced the hearts of already two Hokages.

Doton: Tachuro Gaeshi no Jutsu – lit. Earth Release: Many Pillars Returning Technique. The user stimulates the surrounding earth to form pillars the size of tree trunks. Usually used for trapping enemies or for hiding, this jutsu is a variation of Doton: Doroku Gaeshi (Earth Release: Earth Shore Returning)

Katon: Gokakyu no Jutsu – lit. Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique. The Uchiha clan's signature move. The user blows a great conflagration in the shape of a fireball towards the opponent. This jutsu is usually a rite of passage for the Uchiha clan. This was also the first fire jutsu Sasuke ever used (during the Survival Training with Kakashi.)

Katon: Ryuka no Jutsu – lit. Fire Release: Dragon Fire Technique. The user blows a stream of flames that are guided by strings, wires or chains. Sasuke used this technique during the Chuunin exams with Orochimaru (disguised as another nin).

Kusanagi Tsurugi: Aoitsuki no Mai – lit. Kusanagi Sword: Dance of the Blue Moon. A beautiful display of swordsmanship involving three Kage Bunshins. This is a variation of the technique used by Hayate, the Mikazuki no Mai. Although the latter aims to first confuse the opponent with dazzling patterns of swordplay, Aoitsuki no Mai involves using Kusanagi's lengthening ability; directing streams of elongating arcs that will slash through the opponent.

Hiden Tsurugi Shiki: Seiryuu no Jutsu – lit. Secret Sword Style: Art of the Blue Dragon. Sasuke's response to the Kusanagi Tsurugi: Aoitsuki no Mai. Basically following the patterns of the latter technique made Seiryuu no Jutsu the perfect counter for it. This dance involves three Kage bunshins too, to counter the opponents clones. Using the tip of their sword, the user's endeavor is to prevent further lengthening of the Kusanagi and halt its dance. This dance is also useful for countering other series of swordplay, but on its own, it is not good for assassinating nor for offense, as the general idea of the jutsu is for defense and counterattacking. This sword style now belongs to the incomplete series of Shijin Shiki no Tsurugi or the Four Guardians Style of the Sword.

Futon: Daitoppa: lit. – Wind Release: Great Breakthrough. Orochimaru basically spews out a large amount of wind from his mouth, capable of leveling a small town or bringing down a large army. Nobody else has ever used this jutsu in the series.

Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Sanju' Rashomon – lit. Summoning Technique: Triple Rashomon. This technique summons three forms of the demonic main gate of old Kyoto. It is a form of ultimate defense comparable to Gaara's Saiko Zettai Bogyo: Shukaku no Tate (Last Absolute Defense: Shield of Shukaku). With this form of ultimate defense, however, comes the painful price of large chakra usage.

Kuchiyose no Jutsu: Shin Yonju Rashomon – lit. Summoning Technique: True Quad –ruple- Rashomon. Orochimaru summons the true Rashomon, with its capability to transport large armies over a long distance in the blink of an eye. The true Rashomon however, does not compare in defense with the normal Rashomon. The chakra usage depends on how many people are being transported through the Rashomon.

A lot of sources came from wikipedia. Remember, wikipedia is the god of all encyclopedias! Rawr!

Same excuse as of the last chapter. Sorry for the evil wordings! And sorry for the confusion too. What you are reading is a glimpse of my chaotic plot. T.T


	32. Sasuke Hollers

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, seriously. The lawyers can start laying off with their manila envelopes and squeaky leather shoes.

Author's notes: I just realize what a terrible man I am. Really, like seriously. I've reread all 21 pages of reviews and countless e-mails that have put me on their favorites.

And here I left it at a stupid cliffhanger.

Now I won't act like everything is okay. Some may be mad, some might have abandoned the fic altogether (or even have forgotten Kitsune Mask ever existed), but I'll present you Chapter 32. You can start pelting me with rotten tomatoes now.

WARNINGS: Unbeta-edness, Potty-mouth Manda…and lots of blood play. And moar, I repeat, moar author's notes on the status and future of the story.

* * *

_From faraway, Sasuke could hear the sounds of battle starting. The gates of Rashomon have opened, letting Sound ninjas inside the village. Konoha and Sand, who honored the alliance between them, fought side by side. The other Kages of the Mist, Grass and Rock continued to stay neutral, just watching from the sidelines and defending themselves if need be._

_Almost all the people have been evacuated; the streets of Konoha were desolate once more. Fires were burning in the village, smoke rose in some parts of Konoha._

_It was midway through the tragedy of Konoha._

"NARUTO!!"

Sasuke's scream pierced through the shrieks of metal, the explosions and the panicking civilians.

War was upon Konoha. War that was initiated by the Snake Sannin, Orochimaru. The pale man had wrought down countless armies conscripted from various hamlets around Sound village and from Kabuto's cloning vats.

The ninjas of Konoha were quick to respond to the call of the times, and Suna kept to their word, although half of the allied forces were now divided, one to help defend the village, and one to retrieve the jinchuuriki, Sabaku no Gaara.

The same jinchuuriki that was destined to have been the fifth Kazekage, the strongest ninja of the village of Sand.

"NARUTO!!"

Unlike the former attempt during the Third Hokage's reign, the Konoha ninjas were able to stave off the assaulting forces more efficiently and with lesser casualties. After all, this time Suna was helping Konoha in the fight; not the other way around.

The supposed clones were nothing more than cannon fodder; acting more like meat dolls than anything. Zombies would have had made a better army than the moaning mass of flesh that were the clones of class C or class B Sound chuunins. They had easily fallen under the rains of knives and shurikens, under the various techniques, jutsus the ninjas performed and cast.

But it was not Orochimaru's way to fail on planning. After all, he was the most cunning of the three Sannin's. None was the wiser among the three of them, but Orochimaru had the edge when it came to cunning.

"_NARUTO!!"_

The village of leaves.

It was a mistake to call it Konohagakure anymore.

For the village was red, and thick with the smell of blood. The streets had flown with crimson, the houses painted unwillingly.

In cold, solid, red.

People will remember the day that the mountains of Konoha, and the faces of the former Hokages, all shone in dazzling scarlet.

* * *

Chapter 32: Sasuke Hollers! The Solution to the Seal!

* * *

"Enough with your screaming, pest."

Naruto stopped the chase, feet alighting softly on the roof of a large apartment. Orochimaru, Kabuto, Gaara and him decided to split up a few minutes ago.

The blond felt irritated though, when Tsunade nodded at Sasuke; as she fell in pursuit towards the Snake Sannin. Four ANBUs made trail for Kabuto, while the two Sand Siblings opted for their youngest, yet most deadliest.

Sasuke and Naruto had a habit of finding themselves face to face almost everywhere they went.

"A surprise." Naruto grunted, his face contorted in vexation. "Sasuke never screams after his enemies."

"I don't." Sasuke replied, eyes locked on the blond's with intense concentration. "At least not with any other but you."

"Fuck you." Naruto spat at a puddle of blood. "Don't you ever get tired of lying time and time again?!"

"Don't you ever get tired of denying what I'm trying to say here, idiot?" Sasuke immediately bit his lip, not meaning to blurt out the last word. It had always been a habit for him to call anyone with blond, spiky hair; an idiot.

"I, fucking, don't need you asshole." Naruto grounded out. "I have the power to make everyone acknowledge me! I don't need yours anymore!!"

Naruto lost no time in summoning Kusanagi to his hand before he made a straight assault towards the Uchiha. The blade had full intention of slicing Sasuke's face in half had the older boy brought his own sword a second too late.

"Well, that was lame." Sasuke taunted, intent on irritating the blond. "With that kind of fighting, you'd really need Orochimaru's help."

Naruto screamed, anguish and anger flecked in the shout of his soul. The slashes of Kusanagi lost all forms of accuracy and sacrificed it for power. Sasuke was nimble enough to dodge the heavy flails of the flimsy blade; but he was amazed at the destruction Naruto had made.

Every single cut of the blade that landed on the roof of the building had cut down through each floor, down until the first floor. Sasuke wondered whether the Frog Boss' sword could handle such power from the legendary blade.

Naruto continued with his power-driven attacks, demolishing every building Sasuke had landed on. He was stricken-blind with fury, all forms of control lost in the intent of removing the object of his ire.

_He's furious. _Sasuke smirked, everything according to plan. _Hokage-sama was right. Separating Naruto and Orochimaru using physical distance can weaken their link. Naruto's emotions would wear the link down, and though I doubt that this would destroy the binding now; it would be enough to bring the level down to a point where we can separate Naruto from Orochimaru's control. _

Sasuke was brought out of his musing, when a kage bunshin had appeared almost instantly above him.

"Shit!" Sasuke spoke too soon, as a third Naruto appeared behind him, almost impaling him with the clone-Kusanagi.

-

-

-

-

"…ahhh…"

One sword.

"Haaagh!!"

Two swords.

**"AAAAGH!!"**

Three swords.

"…ha…agh…"

Four Swords.

Naruto looked up from Sasuke's surprised face, his grip on Kusanagi tightening.

A feral grin.

A sword pushed upwards.

A spurt of blood, trickling down on whiskered scars.

A violent push.

A more violent scream in the afternoon air.

* * *

"Orochimaru! You coward!"

Tsunade roared after the tanned man, punching each and every snake he threw at her. Orochimaru seemed to have an endless supply of those things hidden underneath his sleeves.

(A/N: For those who still remembers, Orochimaru had possessed Gen'yumaru's body; who has a tanned complexion.)

"My, my princess." Orochimaru taunted. "So aggressive. It wouldn't do good for your complexion to be this angry. Just look at those frown lines."

"YOU WORRY FOR YOUR COMPLEXION WHEN I GET TO PUNCH YOUR SLIMY FACE!" Tsunade retaliated, her hand catching on a roof of a building and single-handedly tore it out and threw it at the Snake sannin. (!)

Orochimaru hadn't seriously expected that. He immediately braced himself, the whole roof exploding on him. He was thrown back, a few houses through and through, before he landed on bloodied rubble in one of the town's main streets.

"Haah…haah…" Tsunade kicked a boulder off, her hands ready to punch Orochimaru if she saw her ugly mug. Only his clothes and snakeskin were left though. She spat at the side, clenching her fist tighter.

He's a snake alright.

"Princess Tsunade."

She straightened immediately, turning around and surprised to see Orochimaru hurling a boulder at her using his tongue at high speed. She used her elbow to guard herself from the boulder, which blew up as it made contact.

"You think you can keep me away from Naruto-kun?"

_No!_ Tsunade gritted her teeth. Orochimaru had caught on with their plan! _I have to keep him busy! Long enough for Sasuke to aggravate Naruto! _

"Hmm…" Orochimaru opened his palm with the seal. "Naruto is enjoying something." He licked at it furtively. "Tch, he's massacring the Uchiha brat. I warned him, but he won't listen."

Orochimaru made no further comment as he made for the blond's direction. Tsunade was in pursuit, this time not to stop Orochimaru; but to confirm what he said.

Her anger at the snake had to be thrown away for the meantime, more concerned at both her wards now.

* * *

She should have thrown that winning lottery ticket when she had the chance.

Only licking sounds could be heard from five bodies in an awkward position.

Four swords were impaled on Sasuke's right lung, dead center. Three clones holding the blades above, beneath and behind Sasuke.

The original one licking the blood trailing down his own Kusanagi.

"Y-you're sick." Sasuke wheezed, finding pain for every breath he took. "Stop licking my blood…it's gross."

"You think I like this?" Naruto glared at him, his tongue darting out for more blood. "You think I like licking your dirty blood? To hell with you, if that's the case. Your blood tastes like salt. It's pathetic and worthless."

Sasuke frowned, but said no more. The licking went on for a few more minutes before he spoke once more.

"You should stop that."

"…"

"I have AIDS."

Naruto nonchalantly dug his sword deeper in Sasuke's chest, earning a yowl of pain from the brunet.

"Can't take a joke now, can we?" Sasuke laughed, though it did him more pain than when he was just plain talking.

"Why do you keep talking to me, even when you're in deep pain?" Naruto finally spoke up, his lips bright red from the sanguine liquid. His delicate eyebrows were contorted in a displeased frown. "Idiot…" He grunted.

"Why did you keep licking my blood, even if it tasteshorrible?" Sasuke countered, his conviction numbing the throbbing pain in his chest. "If I'm an idiot, then you're one sick fuck."

Naruto looked pensive, and so did Sasuke. A quiet moment came between them for just a few seconds.

"It just has to be this way, huh?" Sasuke muttered. "One of us has to be either mutilated, on the verge of death, or either missing a body a part for us to have a civil conversation."

"We don't have missing body parts." Naruto pointed out.

"In the future, probably."

Silence.

"You're going to die today. There is no future."

Sasuke called his bluff.

"Orochimaru wants my body. He won't let me die…at least not yet."

"Your body might not, but your will shall disappear." Naruto looked away. "Orochimaru will have your body, I will follow him. He'll use that body against mine again and again. I will not fight against him for that."

"At least…think of me when he does that."

Naruto frowned.

"I cannot grant you that wish. The only thing I can grant you is your release from this pain."

Sasuke smiled softly, fingers twitching involuntarily from the overdue fatigue.

"Then, release me."

Naruto nodded, calling off Kusanagi, and his three other clones. Sasuke immediately fell limply on the destroyed roof, relieved that the pain on his lung had gone now. Blood flowed heavily on his side, he'd worry about that later.

"Thanks…oof…" He landed with a thud on the hard gravel and bits of rubble, gritting his teeth as stones dug into this chest and stomach.

"You're welcome." Naruto muttered, indifferent to Sasuke's pain. "I'm not this kind, Sasuke. I'm following his orders not to kill you."

"Yeah." Sasuke heaved, growing quiet. "Maybe."

Naruto's face reflected uncertainty at that moment. Sadness, wanting to comfort. Where those unbidden tears on those immaculate eyes?

"Sasuke, I – **RAAAAAAAAARGH!! AAAAAAAAAAAGHHH!!"**

-

"..."

Behind Naruto, Gaara stood coldly, impassive. On his hand was an empty vial, his missing necklace; its red contents unseen.

The redhead had poured whatever it was onto the blond.

"NARUTO!" Sasuke couldn't see the blond from where he was lying, but the sudden scream roused him in an instant. "TELL ME WHAT'S HAPPENING NARUTO!!"

The blond didn't answer, couldn't answer. A swirling red mist encircled Naruto, burning his skin, peeling deep layers away, slowly being regenerated by the Kyuubi's chakra before being peeled away again.

"Gaara, stop it!" Temari called from behind him. "You're hurting Naruto! You're hurting your friend."

The boy turned around, his eyes cold. "I have no control over this. I never did have control in the first place."

A shadow rose from beside Gaara, revealing a humped back figure with a black cloak and crimson cloud patterns.

They spoke as one, the man's deep timbre and the boy's strained voice.

"I am no one ever since. I am already dead. I am but a doll."

Sasuke looked shocked, when Gaara's head turned around three hundred and sixty degrees to look at him. The figure behind merely stared at him with his beady little pupils.

"So you must be Itachi-kun's little brother." Both Gaara and the figure spoke.

"I am Sasori of the Red Sand. _Yoroshiku,_ _Itachi no otouto._" The voice was rumbly, but there was a hint of elegance. Deathly it was...but still elegant.

Sasuke had no words for either the hate he felt at being addressed like that, the horrifying feeling from Naruto's pained screams, or the pain from his own deep wound in his chest.

He had lost a lot of blood, had a gaping hole the size of a fist, and was carelessly incapacitated to do anything.

"W-what's happening to Naruto? The hell did you put on him?!" Sasuke gritted through his teeth, mustering the strength to counter the pain.

Sasori looked towards the blond who had already bled in far too many places.

"It is a poisonous acid that corrodes the skin alone. It evaporates and condenses on the nearest solid object, so it's fairly hard to remove." He spoke a matter-of-factly. "I would not bother with it while it is in effect. The acid is locked on, into his chakra signature."

"Naruto…" Sasuke whispered, weakness settling in. A cough of blood followed suit, as he hacked over in pain.

"Nghh….hurts…" Naruto moaned, the acid finally dissipating in the air. He fell down with a soft thud, spilling his own blood the minute his body made contact with cement. "I shouldn't…feel pain…why do I feel pain…"

Sasori looked over the jinchuuriki of the nine-tails, before his eyes traveled to Orochimaru, Tsunade, and another person wearing the same clothes as Sasori did.

"I'm simply using this poison for your benefit as well as ours, jinchuuriki. It seems your chakra system is being shaken well enough to break your binding." Sasori's eyes slid towards a group of people in a distance.

His eyes narrowed on his once-partner.

* * *

"Itachi."

Orochimaru had spoken the name so silkily, one might not have any thoughts that grievances had happened between the two males.

"Does Akatsuki wish to rid me now?" Orochimaru didn't blink for one second, keeping his eye below Itachi's eye level. "Or am I being too much of a threat for even them to handle?"

Itachi scoffed at him, eyes haughty at the statement.

"Don't flatter yourself Orochimaru." His eyes pointedly glanced at Orochimaru's right hand. So much chakra pooled into one part of his body. He shook slightly.

"Hm, so that's the binding technique I've heard so much about." Itachi returned to looking at the discomfited Sannin. "It is rather quite taxing to your chakra reserve, is it not?"

"Shame, you had to sacrifice your immortality for Naruto-kun."

Everything was silent for a few moments, before laughter erupted from the sibilant man's lips. Orochimaru had rather found it funny.

"Akatsuki would not kill me, Itachi-kun." Orochimaru staggered around, as if a great weight was removed from him. "Naruto's life is bound to mine. No amount of the bijuu's chakra can save him from death when I die as a consequence."

"The organization's plan would be of no significance if that happens."

Itachi was quiet. Deathly silence before he closed his eyes and remarked.

"You will disappear regardless. Your target was never Naruto, but the Kyuubi inside him."

Tsunade had rushed to both of Naruto's and Sasuke's side. The blond had done a better job healing himself than did the Uchiha, who was teetering on consciousness due to the shock of blood loss.

She had been listening on the two men's conversations while he was healing Sasuke's wound. _Orochimaru is right. It would do Akatsuki no good if they killed him. Naruto, and the Kyuubi inside, would disappear as well._

"The boy is fusing well with his bijuu." Orochimaru stated, shrugging. "Sooner or later, there will be no Kyuubi as there is no Naruto. The boy and the beast will become one."

"Your taint must not reach his spirit." Itachi spoke casually, deathly calm in the air.

"_Nani?_" Orochimaru countered, more cocky than cautious now. "I have merely given the boy he desired. I have given him the ability to be with Sasuke again."

Tsunade turned towards the boy she was healing. Sasuke had heard, Sasuke had heard it all right. His hands fisted into tight balls, his eyes held a look that came with revelation.

"Naruto will never grow strong surrounded with hate. I have realized that since the beginning. I have merely strengthened his love for your younger brother. Either way, it all works for me."

Orochimaru turned towards the blond, still unconscious and steadily healing himself.

"It is a sick and twisted love. A type of love that goes against those he cares about. He loves this village so much that he wants to crush it. He loved your brother so badly, he wanted to kill him more than anyone else."

"With this, he will be stronger and so shall I." The man laughed in a strained voice, facing the heavens. "His body will be mine, and his spirit shall be free for me to use."

-

-

-

-

A large figure from Itachi's side had immediately materialized and driven its sword into Orochimaru. Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan was madly spinning before they stopped.

-

-

-

-

-

"This…" Orochimaru hacked, blood flowing from his mouth. "…not die. I do not die…no mortal weapon can kill me!!"

He stopped though, horrified. He had felt a tugging, no, a sucking force from the blade that entered his physical body. The blade was rather surreal, almost ethereal or plasmic.

Where the blade entered Orochimaru's body, it came out of Naruto's back, a few good meters away. The ghost-like blade protruded distinctively, but neither had it disturbed the boy or his healing process.

"Cannot…be…" Orochimaru fell helpless as he felt his soul being pulled into the sword. "This sword…"

"The spirit sword you were also looking for. I had it hidden until the time was right." Itachi clipped, the urge to mock the Sannin coming up. "A seeming waste. All those years of learning forbidden techniques…and not one can save you from this."

Almost half of Orochimaru's spiritual body was disappearing into the blade.

"NARUTO!!" He wailed, anger more than fear in his disembodied voice. "WAKE UP AND - "

He stopped, noticing the blade sucking up something dark from the boy's body.

"Oh? It looks like the spirit sword is also draining your influence from the boy." Itachi glanced at his side, a hint of amusement in his face. "Years of questions on how to quell this forbidden jutsu, and both the object of your death and life was the sole answer to it all."

"You knew!" Orochimaru raged, first time feeling hatred at the older Uchiha. "You had known all these years!"

"A theory, yes. But there was another reason." Itachi massaged his temples. "Akatsuki knows you plan to taint the Kyuubi with your chakra. Should your taint mix with the beast, we would have problems once we extracted it from the boy."

"You planned on actually using Akatsuki to collect all the tailed beasts, and once we had gathered all of their energies; corrupt them from the inside and control it for yourself."

Orochimaru bit back, his intricate plan was understood by Itachi. He indeed, was the genius of the Uchiha clan.

"In the end…"

Itachi glanced at the fallen blond, so did Orochimaru, Tsunade...and Sasuke.

"Naruto…" He whispered oh-so softly, like his voice was about to break like the most fragile glass. Like he was afraid the blond would hear him call out to him.

"In the end…it was still about the Kyuubi." The blond eased up from his lying-down, propping himself with one shoulder. He failed though, as broken bones caused him to collapse back onto the floor. "You're the absolute worst…Orochimaru…"

The seal on his left hand started to dissolve, dissipate into the air and into the spirit sword sticking out of his back. No mark was left in his hand, for that Naruto felt relieved, grateful even.

Orochimaru was unable to scream further, as he finally disappeared into the blade. Susanoo dissipated, disappeared.

Itachi momentarily staggered, willing his eyes to adjust back into the normal Sharingan. It took him a few moments, but he was finally able to do it.

"Itachi."

Sasori spoke up, his rumbly voice was grating to the ears. "Termination of Orochimaru complete. You made me wait for so long."

Itachi shook his head. "My apologies, Master Sasori. I guess we should head back now. Deidara and Kisame are waiting in the forest for us."

Sasori felt a tug in his coat. He looked down to see the pitiful form of the blond, lips moving without sound.

"Gaara?" Sasori looked up towards the doll waiting for his command. "The boy has long been dead, jinchuuriki. What you have seen for the last few months was but a shoten doll."

He dispelled the jutsu with a flick of his scorpion tail. The Gaara in front of them erupted into a pinion of sand, disappearing completely into the air.

"I would have loved to add the boy's body to my collection. But he had caused cellular genocide on himself using his sand before I was able to terminate it."

"Gaara…was not defiled." Naruto relaxed a bit, lowering himself to rest. "That's…good…"

Sasori bent closer towards Naruto's ear. His voice seemed to come deep from inside Sasori, instead of Sasori speaking himself.

"Naruto-kun." A youthful voice spoke silkily. "Let's play again when we capture you. Offer your body to me and be part of my collection."

Naruto did not answer. Sasori spoke no further and nodded at Itachi before both Akatsuki members leaped away to a destroyed section of Konohagakure's wall.

"Naruto-kun." Itachi gave a soft warning, uncaring whether the blond heard him or not. "Three years and we will come after you. Until then, be strong and live. Prove yourself worthy of a hunt for us."

His eyes glanced towards Sasuke for a brief moment before they both disappeared into the horizon.

Akatsuki would not be seen again until three years.

* * *

Tsunade felt helpless as she surveyed the scene unfolding before her. The lifeless body of Orochimaru, the patchwork healing she had done for Sasuke ( a clean section of flesh had covered the gaping hole earlier ), and the teetering blond, who was finally able to stand up on his own.

Orochimaru is dead. Akatsuki did not take Naruto away. Konoha was nearly destroyed.

Footsteps.

"_Tadaima…baa-chan…_" (I am home, grandma)

Naruto nervously smirked, as he knelt in front of Sasuke and Tsunade.

"_Okaeri…Naruto…"_ (Welcome back.)

Tsunade silently cried, yet a simple smile was upon her lips.

The Sound hitai-ate (forehead protector) from Naruto's neck slid loosely, falling into stone with a loud clang.

The calmness was short-lived though, when the ground below Konoha rumbled in an instant.

The blood-soaked streets of Konoha cracked, rumbled, bucked and tore apart; revealing masses and masses of black, swamp snakes. They flowed endlessly in torrents from burrows in the ground. The red sea of blood was replaced with black, squirming bodies.

"Orochimaru!" Tsunade gritted, biting her thumb and running it into the ground. Tough luck, she tried summoning her slug; but the outrageous amount of chakra she spent earlier against Orochimaru and on Sasuke left her dry.

Naruto bit his own, and poured all of his concentration into that one summoning. An outrageously large seal erupted outwards him and coalesced to form a giant snake above Konoha.

The snake dropped from the height, shaking the streets more and squishing a few blocks worth of black swamp snakes.

"**NARUTO!!**" Manda growled, breaking a few glass windows in the vicinity. "**YOU BETTER HAVE A BANQUET FOR ME WHEN YOU SUMMONED ME!!"**

"Shut your trap, old snake!" Naruto answered back, unperturbed, "The streets are lined with Orochimaru's corpses! Listen, I need you to hold your brood back!"

"**FUUCKKK!!" **Manda whined, squirming and squishing a few more snakes in his wake. "**THESE ARE OROCHIMARU'S BLOOD SNAKES!! DID THE GEEZER DROP DEAD OR SOMETHIN'?!"**

"He's…" Naruto was about to point at Orochimaru's corpse before Manda took a dive and devoured everything, including half of the building where Orochimaru's body had lain. "…you just had to go and eat it, huh?"

"**THE MAN PISSED ME OFF."** Manda flicked a tongue out, satisfied with himself. **"SO YOU WANT HIS PETS AWAY? PAYMENT IS COMPLETE, I'LL CLEAN THE STREETS FOR YOU."**

And by cleaning, Manda meant devouring every single snake that came in his way. The giant boss snake charged through each and every street, devouring every corpse and snake that found itself in front of his mouth.

Naruto stood strong on the roof, overseeing Manda's work. He was careful enough to give instructions to spit out any bystander he might eat. Manda kept to his word every now and then, but Naruto had to make sure. Snakes are sly by nature.

The cannibalistic fest had ended with Manda coiling up towards the building Naruto, Tsunade and Sasuke had situated. Both master and summon regarded each other, before the snake let out a hearty burp that reverberated across the plains.

"**OOH…MY STOMACH IS FULL…"** Manda let out a sigh, his breath teeming with the smell of stale blood and bodies. **"UNTIL NEXT TIME BRAT, IT WAS NICE DOING BUSINESS WITH YOU."**

Manda stayed no longer and disappeared in a giant explosion of smoke.

Naruto immediately buckled onto his knees and blacked out

**-**

**-**

The storm has past.

Konoha still stood. Shaken, but standing proud.

It will be a beautiful tomorrow.

Naruto knew it, even if his vision of the sun slowly disappeared. Even if darkness came once more to claim him.

Even if the last thing he remembered were the eyes of a fox.

* * *

A/N:

Finally finished Chapter 32! Well, not really finished. It rather looked half-assed to me. …whimpers…

Okay, first and foremost, a big thanks to everyone who reviewed. The reason Chapter 32 is here is because people took time to review and share their ideas. It may not be that obvious, but I actually took a lot of ideas from the review pages. wink wink

Alright, for the interested people. Here's the whole plan actually. Chapter 33 will be set Two Years Later, this time the pace will be slower and more relaxed. Bad boy Naruto's phase could be in an end? I dunno, I need another excuse to cause him to turn to the dark side (har har).

I'll prolly end the story eight chapters from now, but I'll be pretty sure to wrap things up by then.

After that, I'll go back to Chapter 1 and redo EACH AND EVERY CHAPTER AGAIN. For the fourth time, I might add.

I have grown, and I don't like my writing style 2 years back. I overdid a few things, and made some things confusing. I'll bulk the story up, though I might remove a few parts as well, not that it'll affect the story or anything.

The next few chapters will be mostly calm years for Konoha, so I really hope the readers can suggest some fun stuff for them to do. I've lost interest in the anime a year back, hence another reason why I was hesitant to update this story.

EDIT: Okay, so I guess Naruto's bad-boy phase isn't over. A plot chicken just pecked me in the eye. XD

* * *

A/N Part 2:

* * *

**SPOILER ALERT!**

Spirit Sword? Susanoo? Itachi? I'm afraid I spoiled a lot of non-manga readers with this revelation. I tried to hide as little details as possible about this, but Kishimoto's idea stuck to my head.

Orochimaru didn't die. His body, yes. But not his soul. The seal weakens when Orochimaru is away, how more if he was sent to another dimension? I hope that clears some things up.

Take note this is not my idea, m'kay? I've been reading the manga as well, so nobody point fingers at me that I'm stealing sensei's ideas. I have disclaimers. Disclaimers!! XD

Update will come when ideas pop up. The more ideas I get, the faster the update will be. Chapter 32 took 3 years for me to start writing and 2 days to finish it. Weird huh?

First time I've experienced trying to crack my skull open after writing all of this. Updating a Kingdom Hearts fanfic, re-writing another Naruto fic, and posting another Kingdom Hearts fanfic didn't help one bit at all.

…goes away and shakes head, muttering something about peanut butter and potatoes…


End file.
